Our Indian-style Aubergine Curry is such a delicious meal that can be made in about 30 minutes using simple ingredients. Aubergine or eggplants are the stars of this creamy curry recipe that your whole family will love. This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
Summer is here and one of the vegetables that we grow in our garden are aubergines, as well known as eggplants. Yes, aubergines and eggplants are the exact same veggie!
We get really excited when we get to pick colorful summer fruits and vegetables but especially eggplants. They have this vibrant purple color and are so versatile that you can keep trying new recipes every year.
Baba Ganough or Miso Aubergine is a favorite at home but this creamy eggplant curry was absolutely delicious too. This curry is definitely making it to the top dishes to cook with eggplant this season.
What makes our curry with aubergines so special is the combination of a lovely spice blend with the creaminess of the coconut milk, the richness of the tomatoes, and the tempering done at the end with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Our Aubergine Curry is:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Family-friendly
- Indian-style curry
- Creamy
- Easy to make
- Made with simple ingredients
- A side or main dish
What is the best way to prepare the Aubergines for a delicious curry
Aubergines or eggplants can be prepared in many different ways and they will turn out delicious every time. This versatile vegetable can be fried, roasted, or even cooked in curry sauce.
For our vegan aubergine curry, we like cutting the eggplant into small to medium-sized cubes and baking them for around 20 minutes.
Before baking, we add a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt to bring out the flavor.
You don't need to peel the eggplant or aubergine as the skin is edible and yummy.
How to make the best Aubergine Curry
Ingredients
Aubergines or eggplants. We are really lucky to have a beautiful garden that provides us with veggies such as aubergines during the whole summer. If we want to cook this meal during the winter we just go to the local market. Make sure you get firm and vibrant eggplants. You can as well, use baby aubergines or baby eggplant, or Japanese eggplants for this recipe.
Onion, garlic, and ginger. No Indian-style curry can be made without these three ingredients in our kitchen. We like finely chopping the onion and mincing the garlic and ginger.
Spice blend. For this eggplant curry, we use garam masala, coriander powder (or coriander seeds), and turmeric. You can use other spices such as cumin, black pepper, or curry powder.
Fresh tomatoes. Our curry differs a bit from the traditional Brinjal curry, but it has a tomato base as well made with fresh and juicy tomatoes. You can optionally use canned tomatoes and some tomato puree to add more flavor.
Full-fat Coconut milk. To give this Indian-style curry some creaminess we add creamy coconut milk. You can choose to add any other plant-based creams such as cashew cream or oat cream.
Tempering. Before serving this curry, we fry some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves to add extra flavor to the dish. Tempering is a traditional technique used in India and other Asian countries to bring out the best flavors from different spices.
Step-by-Step Method
- Prepare the aubergine. Cut the aubergines into small cubes and place them on a baking tray. Drizzle a dash of olive oil, sprinkle a little bit of salt, and roast for about 20 minutes.
- Add some coconut oil to a large frying pan to medium heat and add finely chopped onion. Stir until it starts to soften and then add minced or pressed garlic and ginger.
- Add garam masala, coriander, turmeric, and fresh tomatoes roughly chopped.
- Add water, sugar a pinch of salt and leave simmering for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a blender jug and blend until you have a smooth sauce.
- Bring the sauce back to the pan and add coconut milk and the roasted aubergine cubes when ready.
For the tempering
- Add some oil to a small frying pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and cumin seeds. Fry until the mustard seeds start to pop.
- Add the fried mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves to the curry and serve.
Variations
- Make it vegetarian. We make this exact same aubergine curry but with heavy cream to make it vegetarian. It's delicious as well!
- Add more veggies. The eggplant or aubergines are the centerpiece of this vegan curry but you can add more veggies to your taste, and make a delicious Vegetable Curry. We highly recommend trying to add red peppers, green beans, and carrots.
- Add more protein to make it a main dish. You can add tofu (vegan) or paneer (vegetarian) to this recipe to make it more complete.
- Skip the blending process. You will still have a delicious curry but with tomato chunks and bits of onion, garlic, and ginger. We love it both ways but if we have some extra time we always blend it as the texture is nicer and our toddler loves it that way!
- Fry the aubergine. Instead of roasting the aubergine, you can fry them using a frying pan or air-fryer. Personally, I prefer roasting it as it doesn't absorb that much oil.
Serving Suggestions
This curry is a perfect main course to serve with other vegetarian curry recipes such as a Butter Bean Curry or Butter Cauliflower and some appetizers like Onion Bhaji or Cauliflower Manchurian.
Adding tofu or paneer (vegetarian curry) makes this vegan curry recipe an ideal main dish for the whole family.
Served with crushed pistachios on top, a good squeeze of lime juice, some papadom, naan bread, pickled red onion, and basmati rice or brown rice, you have the perfect dinner or lunch.
If you want to serve this meal with some flatbread, you should try our Red Lentil Wraps.
Prepare a simple side dish to serve with it, such as this delicious sauteed okra.
To add some spice to this aubergine curry, you can add some chili flakes, fresh chili to the tempering, or chili oil before serving.
Serve it with a refreshing drink such as this lovely Mango Juice.
Store and Reheat
Aubergine curry is a great dish to make ahead of time. The flavors tend to develop and intensify when the curry sits for a while.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
Our Aubergine Curry can be frozen for future use. Allow it to cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Label and date it before freezing. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it before serving.
FAQ and Tips
Are aubergines and eggplants the same thing?
Yes, they are. At home, we call them aubergines as that is how they are called in most countries in Europe but Americans will typically refer to them as eggplants.
What's the best way to prepare aubergine for curry?
Our favorite way is to bake the aubergines in the oven before adding them to the curry. You can cube them, slice them, or simply cut them in halves, you may need to cook them longer the bigger you cut them.
Can you eat the skin of aubergines?
Yes, and you should if cooked properly as it has antioxidants that are good for us.
How do I select the right aubergines for curry?
Choose aubergines that are firm and glossy with smooth skin. Avoid ones with bruises or blemishes. The smaller varieties like Indian or Japanese eggplants are ideal for curries as they have a tender texture and absorb flavors well.
Aubergine Curry
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines or eggplants
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 thumb-size ginger piece
- ½ tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tomatoes medium size
- 100 ml water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3-4 curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C or 400F.
- Cut the aubergines into cubes and place on a baking tray. Drizzle some olive oil, sprinkle a little bit of salt and roast for about 20 minutes, mixing them halfway to make sure they don't stick to the oven tray.
- While the aubergines are cooking , add some oil to a pan on medium heat and add the onion finely chopped. Stir until the onion starts to soften and then add minced or pressed garlic and ginger.
- Add garam masala, coriander, turmeric and the fresh tomatoes roughly chopped.
- Add water, sugar, a pinch of salt and leave simmering for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a blender jug and blend until you have a smooth sauce.
- Bring the sauce back to the pan and add coconut milk and the roasted eggplant when ready.
- Heat some oil in a small frying pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and cumin seeds. Fry until the mustard seeds start to pop.
- Add the fried mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves to the curry and serve.
Notes
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Nutrition
| If you tried our recipe, please leave a comment or tag us on Instagram. We are always happy to see your creations! |
Mikayla says
This was a really good recipe for eggplant, I hadn't ever had it prepared like this before. It was really tasty and delicious on a bed of brown rice.
Amanda Dixon says
This curry came out so good! I had a bunch of eggplants in the garden, and this was a perfect way to use them. The spice mixture was wonderful, and I love the creaminess the coconut milk added.
Laura says
Thank you Amanda! Glad you enjoyed the recipe !
Erin says
This curry was so perfectly flavored! Even my kid loved it, and he doesn't go for anything like this. Thanks a ton for the great recipe!
Colleen says
This curry was such a delicious way to use some of my garden eggplant. I will make this recipe again. Thank you!
Claire says
This eggplant curry was amazing! I've never made curry with eggplants before but will absolutely be making it again.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
We have friends coming to visit who LOVE curry and are vegetarian. This is definitely on the menu as it looks and sounds amazing!
Valentina says
This looks yummy! I have never tried Aubergine Curry but this recipe sounds delicious and I will love to give it a try.
Jade says
I made this one night. It was good! Loved the eggplant and curry flavor.
Loreto and Nicoletta says
We love aubergine/eggplant and always looking for new ways to have them. This aubergine curry recipe will be such a great addition to our recipes. Thank you!
Sharon says
Love this recipe and very easy to make. Can it be frozen?
Laura Arteaga says
Yes! I don't see why it couldn't 🙂