Indian Eggplant Curry - Aubergine Curry

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!

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We are declared fans of curries and Indian food. So naturally, Indian recipes 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 delivered or cooked every Sunday, no questions asked.

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 Curried Cauliflower and mushroom tikka masala, also use garam masala!

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!

Jump to:

• 🤔 Why we love this dish
• 🧐 What is curry?
• Types of Curry
• 🧾 Ingredients for eggplant curry recipe
• 🔪 How to cook Indian eggplant curry
• 🥢 How to serve
• 🍶 Substitutions
• 📖 Variations
• ❓ FAQ
• 🍛 More Curry Recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• 🌡️ Food safety
• 💬 Reviews and Comments

🤔 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 fall season recipe, as it is cozy and packed with flavor.

🧐 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), which ruled over India between 1858 and 1947.

The British Raj used a lot of spices in their cooking and brought them 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 and 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 garam masala (which we use in this recipe).

Types of Curry

• Asian curry (Thai curry, Indo-chinese curry, Singaporean curry, Indian Curry)
• Caribbean curry (derived from African cuisine & Indian spices such as cumin seeds 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 out how to make authentic Thai Yellow and Green Curry Paste.

🧾 Ingredients for eggplant curry recipe

• 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 a burst of freshness and color to the dish. If you're out of fresh leaves, coriander powder can also do the trick.
• Coconut Milk: This brings everything together, adding creaminess and a hint of sweetness. It also helps to balance out the spices, making the dish indulgent yet light.

You can always add some fresh ginger (or ground ginger), but it is unnecessary.

See the recipe card for quantities.

🔪 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?

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

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 pearl onions prepared with Indian spices; alternatively, serve with 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,

🍶 Substitutions

Eggplants

You can use Asian eggplants, Japanese eggplants, 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 mortar and pestle and add them to the eggplant curry.

Other spices

• Spiciness - feel free to add some cayenne pepper, red chili powder, or green chili if you want to spice it up unless you use a hot masala.
• Mustard seeds - you can add a teaspoon of crushed mustard seeds or black mustard seeds.
• Coriander powder - is always a nice addition to this curry if you want to spicy it even more.
• Herbs - If you don’t love coriander, you can use some parsley leaves.
• 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.
• Fresh ginger - add a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger for extra intensity.
• Oil choice - you can use olive oil instead of coconut oil.
• Onion and garlic - just because we love intense flavors, we have tried adding one chopped onion and garlic cloves, and I have to say that this eggplant curry didn't need them.

I was very surprised to see that the flavor was already there with this choice of nicely picked ingredients, but if you feel like you want to add them to the dish, they won't hurt.

We noted that the onions and garlic started to overpower the delicious taste of the slow-roasted eggplant and decided to leave them out.

📖 Variations

• Spice It Up: If you're a heat seeker, add some sliced green chilies or a teaspoon of red chili flakes to the curry. It'll give you that extra kick and make your taste buds dance.
• 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.

Feel free to mix and match these variations to create your own signature, Eggplant Curry. The kitchen is your playground!

❓ FAQ

🍛 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!

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

If you love eggplant, check our 9 Vegan Eggplant dishes 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!

📋 Recipe