Buttery-tender eggplant cubes in a creamy and aromatic curry sauce are a winning combination in this easy eggplant curry.
Serve it with basmati rice or naan bread for a balanced Indian–inspired dinner; it takes about 30 minutes to make.

Table of Contents
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.
Variations
If you would like to add more protein to eggplant curry we recommend the following options. They are super easy to implement in the recipe.
- TOFU: go for firm tofu and break it or cut it into bite-size pieces. You can either pan fry the tofu with the spices for 3 to 5 minutes, or you can bake it to make it more chewy and add it towards the end with the eggplant. Here’s our baked tofu recipe.
- CHICKEN: cut the chicken breast into bite-size pieces and pan fry it with the spices for 2 to 3 minutes before adding the other ingredients.
- FISH: same as for chicken. Add at the beginning with the spices.
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.
Similar recipes
If you love Indian-themed dinners, try these easy-to-follow recipes:
- Vegetable curry
- Aloo gobi
- Chana masala
- Dal with split lentils
Eggplant Curry
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants about 1¼ pound or 560 grams (+ 1½ tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper for roasting)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons coriander ground
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups vegetable broth or more to taste
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas or 1½ cups of cooked chickpeas
- 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
Serving suggestions
- 4 wedges lemon
- 1 handful fresh cilantro
- 1 to 2 cups basmati rice or naan bread
- 4 tablespoons plain or greek yogurt
Instructions
- ROAST THE EGGPLANTS: Preheat oven to 430°F or 220°C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.Cut 2 medium eggplants into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes.Transfer onto baking sheet and toss in olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Arrange on a single layer roast 25 minutes or until browned.
- MAKE FLAVOR BASE: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven.Add 1 medium onion (chopped) and sauté on medium heat for 3 minutes.Add 2 cloves garlic and 1 inch ginger (both grated) and sauté one more minute.Now lower the heat to low and add 2 teaspoons curry powder, 2 teaspoons coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.Toast the spices for one minute or until you smell their fragrant aroma.
- LET IT SIMMER: Add 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas (drained), 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes, and 1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.Set the heat to medium, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- ADD EGGPLANTS: Add the roasted eggplants and 1 teaspoon garam masala.Stir 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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
- Olive oil: substitute avocado oil, coconut oil, or another neutral vegetable oil.
- Onion: substitute shallots.
- Garlic and ginger: substitute garlic and ginger paste.
- Spices: try to use as many as you can. You can substitute 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon for garam masala.
- Eggplant: substitute cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potato, or pumpkin.
- Chickpeas: substitute any-color lentils, cooked or canned.
- Vegetable broth: substitute water.
- Crushed tomatoes: substitute diced tomatoes or tomato puree.
- Coconut milk: substitute light coconut milk, heavy cream, non-dairy cream, or 15 cashews blended with 1/2 cup of water.
- Lemon: substitute lime.
2. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days after cooling to room temperature.
3. It can be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed in the fridge or microwave. Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 portion of eggplant curry out of four with reduced-fat coconut milk, without rice, and without toppings.
Nutrition
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Made it today, soooo delicious, I love eggplants, thanks for sharing.
Sooo good!
Absolutely delicious. The flavors were so good. Made it exactly to recipe specs. I will like to try more of your recipes.
Fantastic, Alice. I’m so very happy you enjoyed the curry! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment here.
Kindest, Louise
Made this eggplant curry with edamame instead of chickpeas ad I did not have it handy. Came out so rich and creamy. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
That’s wonderful, Mahalakshmi – I’m delighted that you enjoyed this ๐
Thanks so much for leaving a comment here. Kindest,
Louise
Lovely
This is the second recipe we have tried from your collection. My husband and I made this together and it was delicious. Great flavor and texture. I love how easy your recipes are to follow and all the visuals you provide. Especially the quick video of Nico at the end bringing it all together.
Really disappointed with this. First, it was like soup. I followed the recipe exactly and used tofu instead of garbanzos as suggested. I baked it with the eggplant and it even had cornstarch on it. I suggest starting with 1 C broth and adding more if needed. It was so bitter/acidic we couldn’t eat it. I used “no salt” crushed tomatoes- does the lack of salt make them bitter? I went out and got all fresh spices and had curry leaves in the freezer. I don’t know- it didn’t look anything like the photos with that rich creamy -looking sauce.
HI Laura,
I am sorry the recipe didn’t work for you.
Not sure what went wrong but the curry should not taste bitter or acidic.
Sometimes eggplants can be bitter…maybe it was that? Some curry powders can be bitter, although that’s unusual.
Did you add coconut milk? It’s necessary to reach that shiny-creamy texture.
It’s possible the curry needed a few more minutes of simmering.
I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.
Nico
The flavors!!! My husband and I absolutely loved this dish. We canโt wait to make it again. Also, I want to say how much I love following your recipes. I love that you put the amounts of ingredients in the instructions so I donโt have to go up to the top. So helpful!!
Fantastic, Cassie!! I’m delighted that you both enjoyed this curry ๐
Thank you for your feedback, and for taking the time to leave a comment here. Have a great rest of your week.
Kindest, Louise
This dish was amazing! Got so many compliments on the dinner. Will definitely be making this again, and again.
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious! I roasted two large eggplants and added 4 garlic cloves, other than that it was as written. This is very, very good! Thank you so much. ๐จ๐ฆ
That’s wonderful, Jackie! I’m very happy you enjoyed the curry.
Thanks so much for your kind comment. All the best,
Louise