Eggplant Curry

Introduction

When I first met Louise she didn’t want to eat eggplant 😭. Then I made her eggplant curry… 🥳

Tender bites of roasted eggplant are hugged by a silky, creamy, and aromatic tomato gravy. She couldn’t resist!

The thing is, eggplant is one of the most versatile vegetables out there but you do need to know how to cook it 🍆.

And while my Italian taste buds demand eggplant parmigiana and pasta alla Norma on a weekly basis, this eggplant curry is without doubt one of my favorite eggplant recipes (don’t tell my nonna though 🧓🏻).

Let’s be honest, Indian cuisine is every bit as awesome as Italian cuisine. And it’s excellent to give flavor to otherwise flavor-lacking supermarket veggies.

So here, to make your eggplants taste incredible we use an Indian soffritto, which is a flavor base with onion, garlic, ginger, and spices.

Spices are EVERYTHING in this recipe so please try to get as many as you can!

But don’t worry! They are affordable and last forever in your pantry. Also we reuse the same 5 spices in MOST of our recipes so they won’t go stale.

After this eggplant curry you could try a creamy lentil curry or curry lentil soup, a hearty chickpea curry or a delicious chickpea stew.

They all use the same spices, are made in one-pot, and go well with fluffy basmati rice or warm naan bread. Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients

• Olive oil: we recommend olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. We use olive oil. You can also make this eggplant curry oil-free. To do so, fry the onion in the pan without any oil, gently, for 3 minutes. Then add garlic and ginger and fry for 1 more minute, stirring often. The natural oils in the onion will prevent it from burning.

• Onion, garlic, ginger: essential for the flavor base. Use fresh ginger and garlic or substitute with garlic and ginger paste.

• Spices: we use cumin (whole or ground), curry powder, ground coriander, turmeric powder, red pepper flakes (or chili powder), and garam masala. Garam masala should be added at the end once the eggplant curry is ready. It adds a wonderful bouquet of aromas that makes this meal special.
  
  If you can’t find garam masala you can replace it with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
  
  Note: other spices commonly used in Indian curry recipes but a little harder to find are mustard seeds, asafoetida or hing, and curry leaves.
  
  If you have those, you can add them before adding the other spices. Wait for the mustard seeds to pop before adding the other spices, and cut the curry powder in half.

• Eggplant: you can use standard American or globe eggplant, Italian eggplant, or Japanese eggplant. You can substitute cauliflower, potatoes, or sweet potatoes for the eggplant.

• Chickpeas: they add a pleasant nutty flavor to this dish and wholesome plant protein. You can use canned or dried chickpeas that you previously cooked. If you want more protein, you can easily add a firm tofu, white fish of choice or chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces.

• Vegetable broth: substitute water for broth.

• Canned tomatoes: you can use canned tomatoes such as crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, whole canned peeled tomatoes (crush them with a fork first), or tomato puree. We use diced tomatoes.

• Coconut milk: use full-fat coconut milk to prioritize taste and creaminess, or reduced-fat coconut milk if you want a curry with fewer fats and calories. Either way, we think coconut milk is terrific with eggplant, and it helps soften the intensity of the spices. You can substitute heavy cream or non-dairy cream for coconut milk.

• Lemon and cilantro: to garnish. Substitute lime for lemon.

Instructions

1. Roast the eggplant

Preheat the oven to 430°F or 220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the eggplant into 1-inch or 2.5-cm cubes.

Transfer them onto the baking sheet and toss them with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Arrange on a single layer and roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until fork tender and browned. In the meantime, prepare the curry.

Note: Roasting the eggplant is optional. However, we recommend it because it adds a ton of flavor to the eggplant and the curry.

If you don’t want to roast the eggplant, you can cut it into cubes and add it to the curry with the chickpeas.

2. Make the curry

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven.

Add chopped onion and sauté on medium heat for 3 minutes.

Add grated garlic and ginger and sauté one more minute.

Now lower the heat to low and add curry powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, and turmeric.

Toast the spices for one minute or until you smell their fragrant aroma.

Note: at this stage you could add extra protein such as firm tofu, white fish, or chicken. Cut the protein into bite size pieces and sauté it in the spices for a couple of minutes. Season the protein with salt and pepper, and add a splash of water if the pan gets dry.

Add vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, rinsed chickpeas, and coconut milk. Season with salt and black pepper.

Set the heat to medium, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

3. Add roasted eggplants

Add the roasted eggplants and the garam masala to the curry.

Stir them and simmer for 5 more minutes until the eggplants are fully covered in sauce, and you reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust for salt.

4. Serving suggestions

Serve eggplant curry with either fluffy basmati rice or warm naan bread.

Top with squeezed lemon or lime juice, a dollop of plain or Greek yogurt, and a pinch fresh cilantro.

Storage

Make ahead: eggplant curry is a great recipe for meal prep as its flavor improves on the second day.

Refrigerator: let the eggplant curry cool down at room temperature, then transfer it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 – 4 days. Then, reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan with some water.

Freezer: let the curry cool down completely, then transfer it into a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or the microwave.

Other Indian Curry Recipes…

If you love Indian-themed dinners, try these easy-to-follow recipes:

• Vegetable curry
• Aloo gobi
• Chana masala
• Dal with split lentils

If you tried this Eggplant Curry recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!