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.
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!