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Vegan 'butter chicken' on the menu in Darlinghurst

Scott Bolles
Scott Bolles

Malabar's vegan 'butter chicken' dish.
Malabar's vegan 'butter chicken' dish.Supplied

The words butter, chicken and vegan aren't usually found in the same sentence, but Sydney's growing fascination with plant-based and vegan food is mapping new food turf.

Demand for vegan options at Darlinghurst veteran Malabar restaurant has grown so strong, owner-chef Mohammed Sali has turned butter chicken on its previously carnivorous head.

"Special dietary requests are commonplace, and most of them are relatively easy to do," Sali says.

Bondi's Upper East Side has changed their menu to 'Nikkei fusion', with a heavy influence on raw, vegan and gluten-free dishes.
Bondi's Upper East Side has changed their menu to 'Nikkei fusion', with a heavy influence on raw, vegan and gluten-free dishes.Supplied
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"But when I received a request for dairy-free and no-chicken butter chicken, I thought we had hit the limit for what is possible.

"The sauce was a little easier, but getting the texture right [for the chicken substitute] was hard – but we got there with mushrooms, flour and plant-based protein."

In the spirit of the creation of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! nearly 40 years ago, he has produced the butter- and chicken-free butter chicken.

"I can't believe how popular it's become, people are calling ahead and checking we haven't sold out for the day."

Sali has a new dish in his sights. "I'm working on a vegan lamb," the chef says.

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Scott BollesScott Bolles writes the weekly Short Black column in Good Food.

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