Vegan Makhani sauce is a base sauce for any curry. Makhani means butter in the Indian language. Most of the restaurants prepare the makhani sauce with lots of butter and cream. Since we are making it vegan, we are using coconut oil and nuts. This is a lifesaver curry sauce that can be prepared ahead and refrigerate. A delicious sauce can be used in many ways on busy days. Add vegetables, tofu, or legumes to make a flavorful curry.
The Kasturi methi is a dried fenugreek leaf that is bitter on its own but brings a lot of flavor to the curry. You can find this in Indian stores, if you cannot find it you can skip it. For more creamy and richness use coconut cream, a curry with vegetables, makhani sauce, and coconut cream paired with rice is an awesome combination.
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Food for the thought
“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
― Marilyn Monroe
Benefits of the ingredients (source)
Coconut oil: It acts as an antibacterial and antiviral, which is a plant derivative form of saturated fat.
Nuts: Each seed has its own benefits. They have anti-inflammatory properties and rich in antioxidants.
Video for Vegan makhani sauce
Steps for making vegan makhani sauce
- Soak almond and cashew nuts in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
- Chop onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic.
- In a pan, add coconut oil and onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic.
- Furthermore, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.
- Cook till tomatoes are mush and grind to a fine paste and strain it.
- Meanwhile, remove the skin of almonds and blend to a smooth paste with cashew nut and water.
- On a heated pan, add the nut paste and allow it to boil. Add red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder.
- After the raw smell goes, add the nut paste and allow to boil for few minutes on a low flame.
- Switch off and allow it to cool. Transfer to the storage bottle and keep refrigerated.
Variations
Coconut oil: Use vegan butter or olive oil.
Almonds: Avoid almonds and use more cashews for creamy texture and taste.
Cream: Use coconut cream for a more rich taste.
Spices: Use Kasturi methi (dried fenugreek leaves) for authentic taste. Avoid cloves and cardamom if you do not have them. They add more flavor to the curry.
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Questions/Tips
What is makhani curry?
Makhani curry is an Indian-based curry. This curry is popular for its creamy, rich, and delicious taste. We are using cashew nuts for creamy and richness. The word makhani means butter. We are replacing butter with coconut oil.
How to make the makhani sauce creamy?
The almonds and cashews make the sauce creamy. To make it more creamy add coconut cream at the end. The taste of the curry takes you to the next level.
Where can I use makhani sauce?
You can use curry as the base and vegetables of your choice. Tofu makhani curry. Use the canned chickpeas and makhani sauce to prepare the chickpeas curry.
Can I make pasta using makhani sauce?
Absolutely. Boil pasta and drain it. Add vegetables of your choice and add the creamy makhani sauce and mix it.
How to make makhani sauce in an Instant pot?
To make it in an instant pot, use an INstant pot. In an instant pot, use saute mode and fry all the vegetables. Once done use a hand blender and puree it and strain through a mesh sieve. Transfer to the instant pot and follow the same procedure in saute mode.
Meal prep for Vegan Makhani sauce
Prepare the sauce as per the instruction. Allow the sauce to cool. Transfer to a mason jar or any clean bottle and refrigerate for 3-5days. If using coconut cream use within 2-3 days.
To freeze transfer this curry in 2 different bottles. Once defrosted do not freeze again, so make sure to divide the curry accordingly. To defrost, place it in the refrigerator overnight. Use the curry accordingly as per your recipe calls.
Recipe card for Vegan Makhani sauce
Vegan Makhani Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup cashew nuts
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 big onion chopped
- 1 inch ginger
- 10 pods garlic
- 3 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1 bayleaf
- 2 cloves, 1 cardamom, and 1 cinnamon stick optional
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp kasturi methi crushed, optional
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the almonds and cashew nuts in hot water for 15 minutes.
- On a heated pan, add coconut oil, onions, garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom(if using spices). Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and cook covered until tomatoes are mushy.
- Pour 1 cup of water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool and transfer to a blender to grind to a fine paste.
- Now remove the skin of the almonds and rinse it. Grind the soaked nuts with 1/2 cup of water to a fine paste.
- Sieve through a metal strainer. Bring to boil. Add chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and salt.
- Allow it to boil for 5 more minutes. Add the cashew- almond paste and heat further for few minutes until it thickens. Once you add the nut paste do not boil more. Maximum 5 minutes.
- Before switching it off add kasturi methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
Notes
- To make it more creamy add coconut cream.
- Adding spices is optional it brings more flavor to the sauce. Likewise, dried fenugreek leaves bring more flavor to the curry.