Indian Eggplant Curry Recipe (2024)

This Indian eggplant curry recipe is one of my favorite comfort food dishes of all time. It is an effortless preparation with meltingly tender eggplant and a luscious sauce loaded with big Indian flavors. Indian cooking at its best!

This Easy 1-Pot Masala Curry puts a smile on our faces every time we make it; definitely one of our favorite Indian eggplant dishes. We had it three times this past week! Like our Indian cauliflower curry, Indian Brussels sprouts curry, and vegetable tikka masala, also use garam masala!

🤔 Why we love this dish

• You make this eggplant curry in one pot.
• Minimal babysitting - It only needs to be checked twice during the whole making.
• You only need a few ingredients that are very easy to find.
• This eggplant recipe is soft and silky, and you can pair it with your favorite choice of flatbread naan or basmati rice.
• Easy to use leftovers - we use eggplant curry leftovers as burritos or involtinis fillings.
• It makes a great vegan fall recipe, as it is cozy and packed with flavor.

🧾 Ingredients

• Eggplant: This veggie is the star of the dish, offering a meaty texture and absorbing flavors like a sponge. Plus, it's low in calories and high in fiber, making it a nutritional win.
• Coconut Oil: We use it for its high smoke point, perfect for sautéing and frying. Its subtle coconut flavor also elevates the tropical notes in the dish.
• Tomato Pulp: This adds a tangy richness and serves as the base for our sauce. Whether you use diced, crushed, or passata, it's all about creating that luscious texture.
• Peanuts: These little guys add a crunchy contrast and are packed with protein. They also bring in a nutty flavor that complements the spices beautifully.
• Shredded Coconut: This ingredient is all about texture and flavor. It adds a tropical twist and a bit of crunch, making each bite more interesting.
• Garam Masala or Madras Curry: Spice is the life of the party here. These blends offer a complex flavor profile, ranging from sweet to spicy, and can be easily swapped based on what you have.
• Fresh Coriander Leaves: These add freshness and color to the dish. Coriander powder can also do the trick if you're out of fresh leaves.
• Coconut Milk: This brings everything together, adding creaminess and a hint of sweetness. It also helps balance the spices, making the dish indulgent yet light.

Substitutions

• Eggplants: You can use Asian, Japanese, and Italian eggplants. I have made the recipe with different types, and they all work.
• Curry powder: You can use madras curry or mainstream curry powder if you have garam masala. If you have dried curry leaves, you can crush them using a mortar and pestle and add them to the eggplant curry.
• Coriander - If you don’t love coriander, use some parsley leaves or coriander powder.
• Tomato - if you don’t have tomato puree, you can use diced whole tomatoes. Tomato paste can be used to add extra sweetness and depth.

🍽 Equipment

You only require basic kitchen items: a large saucepan and a wooden spoon. If you choose to lessen the bitterness of the eggplants, a wire rack would be ideal, similar to what you'd use for cooling cookies.

🔪How to cook Indian eggplant curry

Cooking Indian Eggplant is easy. You just need to be patient to achieve the best texture. It does not require babysitting but requires some time.

The creaminess of the eggplants comes from the technique used. Are you ready to take your cooking skills to the next level?

Step 1: Slice eggplants lengthwise into ½" (1 cm) slices. Remove the tops.

Step 2: In a large saucepan, gentlytoast the peanuts and the shredded coconutin hot oil on medium heat. Ensure they only get golden brown; it should take about 30 seconds.

Step 3: Add the garam masala curry powder to the saucepan.

Step 4: Stir in half of the tomato passata and stir for 2 minutes.

Hint: you can also use two tablespoons of peanut butter to substitute for peanuts.

Step 5: Place the eggplant slices on topof the mix. Stir a bit and add 1 cup of water. Close with a lid. (Don’t worry if the eggplants are not fully covered). Bring the heat to a minimum and leave it closed for 30 minutes.

Step 6: Turn the eggplants and smash them with the back of a spoon. Close the lid and cook on medium-high heat for another 10 minutes, stirring it halfway through.

Step 7: Open the lid, stir a bit, and add the coconut milk, the rest of the tomato purée, salt, and cayenne pepper (or black pepper).

Step 8: Let the curry simmer for 10 minutes and remove from heat.

Turn the heat off and let the lid on to let all the flavors come together before garnishing the eggplant curry with fresh coriander finely chopped.

🥢 How to serve

Basmati Rice: The long-grain, aromatic rice is a classic pairing with any Indian curry. It's like the Batman to this Eggplant Curry's Robin. The rice soaks up the flavors and provides a fluffy, light base that complements the richness of the curry. Ass some spicy spiced onions prepared with Indian spices; alternatively, serve with delicious vegan mashed potatoes.

Naan Bread: Tear off a piece of this fluffy, slightly charred bread and use it as an edible spoon. It's the perfect vehicle for scooping up that delicious curry and makes for a hearty meal.

Stuffed Bell Peppers: Get a little adventurous and stuff some bell peppers with the Eggplant Curry. Bake them until the peppers are tender, and you've got yourself a fusion dish that's as Instagrammable as it is tasty.

Serve with freshly made basmati rice, naan flatbread,

📖 Variations

Our Go-To Spicy Twists: We often amp up our eggplant curry with some heat by adding sliced green chilies, or a teaspoon of red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, red chili powder, or green chili. It really brings a lively kick that we love.

We're also big fans of adding a teaspoon of crushed mustard seeds or black mustard seeds for their distinct flavor.

Protein Boost: Want to up the protein? Toss in some cubed tofu or tempeh during the last 10 minutes of cooking. They'll soak up the flavors and add a different texture to the dish.

Low-Fat Version: If you're watching your calories, swap out the coconut milk for a lighter plant-based milk like almond or oat milk. Just add a teaspoon of cornstarch to thicken the sauce and you're good to go.

Bulk it up: Add medium diced potatoes and tomato puree to add some extra starch and volume to your curry. Also, you can add Frozen peas - add a handful if you want some extra texture and veggies.

❓FAQ

🍛 More Curry Recipes

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This Thai Fresh vegan red curry, is perfect for a weekday meal.

This Thai yellow Curry recipe, is my go-to recipe when I want to impress my guest with Thai cooking!

If you are wondering how to make a Green Thai Curry, you need to check this out to see all the tips!

If you like one-pot recipes, don't forget to try this vegan chili recipe! Your family will love it!

Into Indian recipes? This Ayurvedic vegan kitchari recipe is a great one for detoxing and giving your stomach some rest while resetting your gut health.

If you love eggplant, check our vegan eggplant recipes post for more delicious recipes and one of our favorite eggplant comfort foods, the savory eggplant pie, and our creamy eggplant pasta with tomato ricotta sauce.

⭐ If you try this curry with aubergine, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

🎥 Video

📋 Recipe