Indian Eggplant Curry - Aubergine Curry

This Eggplant Indian Curry is one of my favorite comfort food dishes of all time. It is an effortless preparation where eggplants deliver all their flavor and texture at their best.

Jump to Recipe

We are declared fans of curries. So naturally, Indian and Thai Curries (Yellow, Red, and Green recipes here on our site) are at the top of our list. While we lived in Mexico until the end of 2019, we used to have Indian Curry either delivered or cooked every single Sunday, no questions asked.

This Easy 1-Pot Masala Curry puts a smile on our faces every time we make it; this past week, we had it three times!

Yes, maybe that’s a little too much! But, we were just craving for it, just as sometimes you’d want Perfect Italian Pizza three days in a row!

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.
• It is soft and silky, and you can pair it with your favorite choice of naan or basmati rice.
• Easy to use leftovers - we use eggplant curry leftovers as burritos or involtinis fillings.

What is curry?

Curry can be traced back to the origins of India and Bangladesh - that is where it came from originally.

Curry was first brought into Britain by the British Raj (or British Empire) who ruled over India between 1858 and 1947. The British Raj used a lot of spices in their cooking and brought these spices into Britain. A popular spice that they introduced was called "curry powder," which is a mixture of many different spices. When curry powder arrived in Britain it was very new, so after a time, people began to add more and more spices to curry powder, giving rise to different varieties of curry. Over time, people began to call the new combinations of spices "curry" and so curry powder itself was called "curry powder."

Curry is a dish that has many different varieties and origins. One popular type of curry is Thai curry which originated in Thai cooking which uses Thai spices such as Thai basil, Thai chili, Thai lemongrass, Thai galangal (also called Thai ginger), and Thai fish sauce.

Indian curry is another type of curry that has many different varieties such as roghan josh (the red roghan meaning red chili powder), korma (derived from the word "kurma"), vindaloo, and masala (which we use in this recipe).

Types of Curry

• Asian curry ( thai curry , indo-chinese curry, singaporean curry)
• Caribbean curry (derived from African cuisine & indian spices such as cumin and coriander)
• European curry (the reason for this is unknown because it doesn't really come from any one region)
• English curry ( thai curry with an English twist)
• Ethiopian Curry (derived from Indian cuisine)
• Japanese curry (Japanese dish made of beef or vegetables stewed in curry roux and usually eaten with rice. It was introduced to Japan by the British during early Meiji era)

The word curry came from the Tamil word "kari" meaning any kind of sauce or stew. So "curry" is a very broad term that can be used to describe any kind of dish, stew, or sauce.

If you love Thai curry don't forget to check how to make authentic Thai Yellow and Green Curry Paste.

Ingredients

Eggplant masala recipe / Indian.

• Eggplant
• Oil
• Tomato
• Peanuts
• Shredded coconut
• Masala Curry powder or Madras Curry (other curries also work)
• Coriander leaves
• Coconut milk.

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to cook Indian Eggplant

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 from the eggplants comes from the technique used.

How to cut eggplant?

To grill eggplant on stove you could either cut the eggplant on discs or lengthwise. For this recipe, make sure to cut the eggplant lengthwise, keeping thick half-inch (1 cm) layers. You may have only four or five. leave the eggplant cooking at low heat, and the pot will do the work.

Substitutions

Curry: you can use madras curry or mainstream curry powder if you don’t have masala.

Spiciness: feel free to add some cayenne pepper or any other chili if you want to spice it up unless you are using a hot masala.

Herbs: If you don’t love coriander, you can use some parsley leaves.

Tomato: if you don’t have tomato puree, you can just use diced tomato.

Oil: you can use olive oil instead of coconut oil.

Variations

Add medium diced potatoes along with the tomato puree to add some extra starch and volume to your curry.

Give me more Curry Recipes!

• Creamy Red Lentil Curry
• Thai Fresh Red Curry
• Yellow Thai Curry
• Green Thai Curry

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

If you are into Indian recipes, this Vegan Kitchari Cleanse Ayurvedic recipe is a great one for detox and giving your stomach some rest, while resetting your gut health.

If you love eggplant, check our 9 Vegan Eggplant dishes post, and one of our favorite eggplant comfort foods, the eggplant savory tart.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

Recipe: Indian Eggplant (Aubergine) Curry

Gus

A carefully balanced blend of our favorite spices and seasonings come together to create this eggplant curry dish. It is the simplest way to enjoy your favorite vegetables!

5 from 23 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 55 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 194 kcal

Equipment

• Large Saucepan

Ingredients

 

CupsMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 eggplant big, or 2 small
• 3 tablespoons masala curry powder organic, or madras curry
• 1 tablespoons avocado oil or coconut oil
• 2 cups organic tomato sauce or 4 tomatoes diced
• ¼ cup peanuts you can leave out a couple to garnish
• ⅓ cup coconut milk (you can leave 2 tablespoons out to decorate)
• 1 bunch coriander leaves or parsley
• 1 cup water

Optional:

• ¼ cup coconut shredded or flakes optional
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

To serve:

• 1 cup brown basmati rice organic, boiled

Instructions

 

• Slice the eggplant lengthwise. Ensure to make thick slices of about ½ inch (1 cm).
  1 eggplant
• In a large saucepan, gently toast the peanuts along with the shredded coconut on medium-high. Make sure they only get golden; it should take about 30 seconds.
  ¼ cup peanuts, ¼ cup coconut shredded or flakes
• Add the oil and the curry and stir for 1 minute.
  1 tablespoons avocado oil, 3 tablespoons masala curry powder
• Stir in the half of the tomato purée and stir for 2 minutes.
  2 cups organic tomato sauce
• Place the eggplant slices on top of 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 the minimum and leave it closed for 30 minutes.
  1 eggplant, 1 cup water
• Stir. Open the lid, stir a bit and add the coconut milk, the rest of the tomato purée and the salt and cayenne pepper (salt and pepper are optional).
  2 cups organic tomato sauce, ⅓ cup coconut milk, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• After 10 minutes, add half of the chopped coriander (reserve the rest to garnish). With the back of the spoon, slightly mash the eggplant slices inner parts. Close the lid and let it simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring it halfway through.
  1 bunch coriander leaves
• Turn the heat off and garnish. Your curry is ready to serve with some basmati rice. Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves.
  1 cup brown basmati rice

Video

Notes

Topping

Add some Crispy Tofu Cubes for an extra dose of protein

Substitutions

Curry: you can use madras curry or mainstream curry powder if you don’t have masala.

Spiciness: feel free to add some cayenne pepper or any other chili if you want to spice it up unless you are using a hot masala.

Herbs: If you don’t love coriander, you can use some parsley leaves.

Tomato: if you don’t have tomato puree, you can just use diced tomato.

Oil: you can use olive oil instead of coconut oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 6gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 652mgPotassium: 780mgFiber: 8gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 591IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 3mg

Keyword 1-pot, aubergine, coconut milk, curry, eggplant, indian curry, one pot

Did you make this recipe?Tag @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram and Hashtag it #ourplantbasedworld so we can see what's cooking!!

Pin for Later!

Food safety

We sometimes take for granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.

Please note that some of the links here are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I use all of the products listed and recommend them because they are companies that I have found helpful and trustworthy.