Creamy Aubergine (Eggplant) Curry
A super creamy Aubergine Curry packed with perfectly balanced flavors and a touch of spice. This filling and comforting eggplant curry is certain to satisfy your comfort food cravings! Vegan and gluten-free.
Okay, guys! I know by now you know that I am a HUGE curry fan but wow oh wow, this particular curry really knocked my socks off! It’s really hard to convey just how delicious this is in words alone! The texture and flavors meld into something perfectly balanced and perfectly crave-able! I cannot wait to hear what you think, too.
🍆 What is an aubergine?
An aubergine is an eggplant! Eggplant/aubergine is a part of the nightshade family of plants, which also includes tomatoes, potatoes and most peppers.
🔪 How-to Make
Sauté eggplant. Set aside. Saute onion, ginger and garlic. Add tomato paste and spices. Stir well. Add coconut milk and water. Simmer. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!
💭 Helpful Tips, Tricks and FAQ
Can I use baby eggplant in place of regular eggplant?
Yes! Simply use 4 baby eggplants to replace 2 regular aubergines.
Sautéeing Aubergine
When completing step 1 of the recipe, make sure the eggplant gets a good sear (marks) on at least one side of each cube before setting aside. This really adds some depth of flavor to the dish!
Tomato Paste
This is one ingredient I highly recommend not omitting! It not only adds flavor, but also contributes to the delectable creaminess you will find in this dish. If you absolutely have to, try using a little tomato sauce instead.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk not only adds creaminess but enhances the flavors of this dish. If you are not vegan or dairy-free, you can use heavy cream in its place, though the flavor profile will be slight different (but still delicious!).
Ginger Root
Fresh ginger root really works well here, but in a pinch, ground ginger can be used instead. Replace the fresh with approx. 1/2 teaspoon of ground.
Why sweetener in a curry?
If you’ve yet to add any sort of sugar or liquid sweetener to a curry before, you’re in for a treat (ha!). Sweetness really helps balance salt and acidity taking a curry dish to a whole other level. The result is a very well balanced flavor profile that will leave you coming back for more!
🍽 What to Serve with Aubergine Curry
My first pick for this curry is white rice. It just works!
Quinoa is always a close second and makes a suitable substitution for rice.
Millet is an understated grain that works very well with curries just like rice and quinoa.
Naan or other flatbread is great if you still want a bit extra and a great vehicle for scooping up all that curry goodness!
To add yet more more flavor and a dash of vibrancy. A good cilantro or mango chutney is always most welcome on a curry dish!
♨️ How-to Store and Reheat
Like most curries, this curry’s flavor continues to develop over time—a.k.a. it makes excellent leftovers! Simply store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. To reheat, place in a pan or pot over medium-low heat and stir occasionally until warmed throughout.
🍛 More Curry Recipes You Will Love
Adzuki Bean Coconut Curry (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Spicy Kale & Potato Curry (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas and Pumpkin (Instant Pot + Stovetop)
Aubergine Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut or avocado oil
- 2 aubergines (eggplants) cut into 1" cubes
- 1 white or yellow onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2" knob fresh ginger root grated or minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or sweetener of choice
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
- 1 13.5-ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 1 13.5-ounce can water I simply fill the coconut milk can with water!
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
- sea salt or pink salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot or pan heat oil over medium-high heat. Add aubergine/eggplant. Saute for 7 minutes. Set aubergine/eggplant aside.
- To the same pan add garlic, ginger and onion. Saute for 5 minutes.
- Return the eggplant to the pan. Add tomato paste, curry powder, coconut sugar, cumin seeds, coriander, garam masala and red chili flakes. Stir until all is well incorporated.
- Add coconut milk and water. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or until a nice creamy consistency is achieved.
- Turn off heat and stir in cilantro. Salt to taste.
- Serve and enjoy!
I don’t have millet, do you think farro would work
Hi, Teresa! For serving the curry over? Farro would work. So would rice or quinoa. It’s also delicious served with any kind of flatbread. I hope this helps!
I love a good curry! This one is a keeper!
These flavors sound absolutely amazing and the dish is gorgeous. I’m heading to the store now to get the ingredients!!
This was really really good! I had some mushrooms and cherry tomatoes in the fridge and only one eggplant, so I used what I had. The bonus for me is that it’s vegan, so my kids can all enjoy it! Thank you so much for posting. This was a winner! 🙌
Eggplant lover here, usually make it Asian style with soy sauce, chili flakes, ginger & garlic. Saw your recipe & decided to try it & was quite pleased with the results as I love coconut curry based meals/sides. I usually add rice noodles to my coconut curries but just eggplant was fine here. I bumped up the heat ratio for my tastes but followed the recipe pretty close. The eggplant remained firm & I enjoyed it skin on. I’ll definitely make this again & thanks for posting!
I’m so very happy to hear it! Thank you for taking the time to come back here and share!
Just a note…I used this eggplant curry as a Shakshuka base for breakfast. Outstanding IMO! Added an amount to cover an 8″ skillet and got it simmering. Made a well and dropped an egg in. Whites cooked to my desired doneness leaving the yoke runny as in Sunny Side Up. I must say a great alternative for breakfast…it turned out delicious. Just another way to enjoy this eggplant curry!
Very delicious ! Thank you for this nice receipt witch is for everyone the best taste in our family !
Your website have great photos and a nice description for you receipt ! Thank you for all and go on !
I’m always scouring the internet for new ways to cook the veggies the family likes…this was absolutely delicious and sooo flavorful. I used a red onion and just one large eggplant loved it will be following more of your recipes for certain. Thank you thank you thank you 🙏
I’m so very happy to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Oh my!!!! This was sooooo delicious. I had some eggplant and mangos from the farmers market and also needed to clean out the fridge. So, I added a potato, roasted baby peppers and chickpeas. I made a mango chutney which took this meal out of the park! The spices were perfect.
Thank you for such a lovely recipe that can be tweaked and still be fabulous!
I’m so very happy to hear it! I’m a huge fan of mango chutney alongside my curries, too. 🙂 Thank you for stopping by!
The flavors in this eggplant curry are spot on. It was a delightful side dish for our family dinner.
I think this may just be my new favourite eggplant recipe! It was so tasty and everyone loved it.
Well this was SO much better than the way my mom used to cook eggplant – a mush mess! And the coconut was a delicious addition to this curry. Yum!
I could eat curry all day long and this eggplant curry is totally delicious!
Never thought aubergine curry can be this good! It was perfectly seasoned and turned out to be incredibly delicious! Served it with flatbread, we loved it!
Absolutely delicious, thank you so much for such a amazing recipe.
I’m so happy to hear it! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
This was spectacular – better than takeout! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
I made this curry last night and just had to come tell you how absolutely divine it is! We’re having some super cold weather, and all those warm spices were just what I needed. I have some leftovers and can’t wait to dig in tonight.
I made this curry for dinner last night and served it with some plain rice. It is so rich, flavorful, and comforting. It is becoming a favorite in my house.
This curry is such a great way to work eggplant into your diet! It’s so comforting too!
I was looking for a vegan dish to serve a friend and found this eggplant curry. She absolutely loved the dish and asked for the recipe.
a great vegan dish.
i added a little bit of Kashmiri Chili for colour and spice and a teaspoon of Kashoori Methi for the indian touch. Additional i put in some lemon juice for a fresher taste. Great resulte and taste.
That sounds great! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to share here.
What a great way to use aubergine. Such a creamy and delicious curry.
I’ve always been a little skeptical of eggplant, but after cooking this recipe I’m completely sold. It was an amazing texture, flavorful and super easy to follow. Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Enjoyed this curry last Monday. The flavors came together perfectly. Can’t wait to make again.
This curry was so rich and flavorful! I typically don’t like eggplant recipes, but I loved how creamy the eggplant was in this recipe – it had great texture and was delicious!
I’m a big eggplant fan and I’ve tried a few different curries with it which is always a great way to enjoy it – the flavors in this one are so comforting!
When asking how to eliminate bitter taste of eggplant I asked if I should soak in milk. My apologies I realize this is a vegan recipe
No worries at all! This is a vegetarian blog. 🙂
From looking at picture that the eggplant is not peeled correct?
Do I need to line a baking sheet with paper towels and generously sprinkle each slice of eggplant with kosher salt? Other preparations I have seen soaking in milk to eliminate bitterness?
Looking forward to making this dish.
Hi, Natalie! It is not peeled and no need to sprinkle it with salt or soak it in milk. I really hope you enjoy it! It’s one of my faves. 🙂
Delicious, tasty and relatively easy to make. I added 1 chicken breast to recipe. So tasty. everyone wanted recipe.
I love curry and this recipe fully satisfied my cravings, it’s perfect, we all enjoyed it, thanks!
This curry was so rich, hearty and flavorful!! All of the spices just took it to a whole other level!
Yummy! The aubergine was perfect, as it absorbed all the flavours of spices and coconut milk whilst cooking. Really easy curry that anyone could make! Enjoyed by the whole family too!
Love all the flavors in this dish. It is perfect!
Such a wonderful use for eggplant! I love that this curry is vegan and gluten-free. So much flavor!
This is so good! The curry flavor was spot on and the eggplant was perfect in here. Will definitely make again.
I was just reading about all the health benefits of eggplants and looking for new recipes. Thanks for this!
This is so good. Goes really well with either basmati rice of naan bread.
This was such a unique and unexpected dish! I love all the balance of flavor and textures; so delicious and hearty!
I`m fall in love with this eggplant curry. Perfect texture and extremely flavorful dish! Thank you for a recipe!
Lovely recipe. I added fresh cherry tomatoes while near the end and used double the tomato purée. Will definitely make again! Served with rice and Greek yoghurt. Thank you!
I really appreciate you taking the time to share here! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
I typically lean towards beans when I do veg curries but love this idea of making the vegetable shine. Eggplant is perfect for it with its hearty texture. Absolutely delicious!
I love trying new recipes like this and it was super delicious!
Very tasty recipe! We really enjoyed having it for dinner yesterday! We had it with basmati rice.
Aubergines are such flavor sponges, perfect in a rich curry!
A fantastic recipe! Aubergine takes on so much flavour! And we loved the gentle heat from ginger and garam masala! Definitely a keeper! 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂
I have been trying to add more vegan meals to my dinner menu and came upon this. What a great dish! It was so delicious and full a flavor we ate it all up! Can’t wait to make again!
This curry was so satisfying and flavorful! We enjoyed it with some fresh naan and it was the perfect meatless meal for our family!
Such a great recipe! Tasted delicious and the eggplant was perfect
I’m just starting to venture into trying to make curry. I was pleasantly surprised to find out I have all the ingredients except eggplant. I can’t wait to make this. It looks amazing!
We have recently discovered curry and started implementing it in our menu. OMG! I have never thought of existing aubergine curry. It is a beautiful surprise for aubergine lovers! I made your recipe this afternoon: it turned out PERFECT!!
Can you please tell me the weight of the eggplants you’re using. There is such a huge range and even a range in type (Japanese vs. globe, vs Italian -the pear shaped).
In this case I am referring to a globe/American eggplant that is approximately 1lb (450 grams). Sorry for any confusion and thank you for bringing this to my attention! 🙂
Thank you. I’m going to try to make this tonight.
Such a fantastic use for the eggplant! All those flavors sound absolutely amazing, especially paired with the rice. Yum!
Great recipe! Thank you for sharing; we enjoyed it. The recipe makes the best out of the eggplants!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you!
This is so creamy and delicious!! I will definitely make it again!
My whole family loves eggplant, this aubergine curry turned out so well we all loved it. I can’t wait to make it again, thank you!
Thank you!! So happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
I like eggplants, and this looks like such a delicious eggplant dish!
Tried this at a friends house, it was served as a spread and it was non stop eating from there! Such a delicious dish, I’m going to make it for a New Years celebration.
I’m so very happy to hear that!! Thank you for taking the time to share. 🙂
That was one delicious curry. I never used eggplant and I was skeptical at first. But it turned out so good. Thanks for the recipe.
I really like this eggplant recipe, I want to cook it tomorrow!
This came out so delicious! I really love curries and this one is definitely at the top of my list. Thanks!
What a beautiful curry recipe to try! I like how creamy this looks – YUM!!!
Who knew that aubergines could make such an awesome curry? I gotta try this!!
Thank you for this GREAT recipe, it was super delicious!!! Will be making this on a regular basis now 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
BIG fan of both aubergine and curry in this house – this recipe ticks all the boxes!
Thank you!!
This quickly became a favorite at my house! Packed full of flavors!
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to share here.
My husband loves eggplant, and he absolutely adored this dinner! We will be making it again!
Oh, wonderful! I’m so happy to hear. 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to share!
This was wonderful! The whole family loved it!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
I’m always looking for more recipes with eggplant! This is a great option. Thank you!
Thank you!
This is the first eggplant curry I’ve made. It was lovely. I used no oil. Next time I would cook the eggplant in smaller batches to get some of that sear going. I added frozen peas at the end. Thanks for the helpful instructions.
The combination of flavors and textures on this curry sounds so good together. Looks so delicious!
Thank you!!
The flavors here are absolutely fantastic! Love the spicy curry with the eggplant. So good over brown rice. YUM!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you. 🙂
Love eggplants and love curries! This is one is definitely worth trying!
I can’t get over how flavorful this was! And so easy to make! I plan on making it a few more times with my garden eggplants before the season ends!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I never tried eggplant curry. Your recipe sounds super easy and looks fantastic. I’m saving this to try. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I hope you love it. 🙂
I made this last night and it was easy and super tasty. I’ve wanted to get comfortable cooking eggplant for ages, so thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I added chickpeas, roasted the eggplant and cooked it all in my instant pot with 1/4cup of red lentils to help thicken the sauce. Will be my go to curry base, thank you 🙂
I’m so very happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and share! 🙂