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
Method
- 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!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated using a third-party calculator and is an estimate only.
Very good curry with depth and the flavors blended nicely.
I sautéd some mustard seeds & curry leaves to season the oil before adding onions, garlic, etc. I also added a 14oz can of crushed tomatoes & couple leftover grape tomatoes and a can of garbanzo beans for protein.
Note to cut eggplants in at least 1” chunks as they’ll shrink or fall apart after searing (I roasted mine, less messy). Lastly, I garnished with some spicy cashews for some crunch. Great curry !
Hi! Thanks so much for visiting! I’m so very happy you enjoyed this recipe and I really appreciate the valuable feedback! 🙂
can this be frozen?
Hi, Janice! Yes, most certainly. It should last well up to a year frozen. I just advise thawing at room temperature prior to reheating on the stovetop. I hope this helps!
Thanks very much. Made it today and it was very good.
I’m so happy to hear it! 🙂
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.