Want more curry recipes? Check out my One Pan Tofu Curry, Easy Vegan Curry, and Easy Chickpea Curry.
Why I love this eggplant curry recipe
Have you ever considered putting eggplant in curry? If not, you should! In this eggplant curry, diced and roasted eggplant practically melts into the luxurious and nicely spiced curry sauce and lends a chewy, yet tender texture to every bite.
Layers of rich and complex flavors: The secret to the delectable flavors in this eggplant curry (AKA brinjal curry or aubergine curry) is to roast the eggplant. When cooked slowly in the oven, the heat draws out the hidden flavors in the eggplant and gives this warm and comforting dish a nice complexity and a rich flavor that you wouldn’t get from pan-fried eggplant. A great late-summer dish: Eggplant, the star of this recipe, is in season from July through October here in North America. Pick up a few different varieties from your local farmer’s market and put them to use in this comforting brinjal curry! Any extras would be perfect for my Vegan Eggplant Parmesan. It’s budget-friendly! A handful of vegetables, dry spices, and canned ingredients make this vegan curry recipe friendly to your wallet. Perfect for meal prep: The leftover curry stays fresh for days and even tastes better over time. Prep it on Sunday and pack it in individual containers for healthy lunches to enjoy throughout the week!
How to make eggplant curry
Lay the cubed eggplant on a large baking sheet and add a drizzle of olive oil on top. Stir to coat, add a sprinkle of salt, then roast in the oven until the eggplant is tender. Meanwhile, saute the onion and red bell pepper in a hot skillet until they’re soft. Stir in the curry spices. You can add a small splash of water at this point if the spices are sticking to the pan. Add the ginger and garlic next and cook until they’re very fragrant. Next, stir the diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and chickpeas into the curry. Once the eggplant is done roasting, dump the chunks into the skillet. Stir to coat, then bring the mixture up to a simmer. Turn down the heat and continue to simmer until everything is tender and the flavors have come together. Serve the vegan eggplant curry in bowls with cooked basmati rice and Indian flatbread on the side. Vegan naan is my favorite, but roti or chapati is good, too. Enjoy!
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