South Indian eggplant curry is easy to make vegan curry that packs amazing flavors! The curry sauce has intense smoky flavors from eggplants roasted in pan. A word – this curry has BOLD FLAVORS, has good amount of heat without being too spicy. It’s VERY TASTY!
Originally posted in August 2016. Re-posting in October 2020 with new pictures and video.
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Ingredients needed
You’ll need–
Hero Ingredient:
Eggplant (brinjal) – eggplant sare actually called brinjal in India. Use any type of eggplants. You can use the small Asian variety of eggplants, baby green eggplants.
Very Indian Ingredients:
Curry Leaves – fresh curry leaves adds that mandatory South Indian flavors to curries and dal.
Black Mustard Seeds – These are usually added for tempering (crackle them in hot oil and add it to curry or dal in the end to give smoky flavor).
Other Spices:
- Turmeric Powder
- Red Chili Powder (or cayenne pepper)
- Cumin Powder
- Coriander Powder
Other Ingredients:
- Onion
- Tomato Pulp (or tomato passata)
- Fresh Ginger
- Fresh Garlic
- Lemon Juice
- Thick Coconut Milk
- Serrano Peppers (or green chili) (optional)
How to make eggplant curry recipe(with step-by-step pictures)
Roasting Eggplants:
- Chop eggplants lengthwise into half in the center. Cut each half into two(again in the center lengthwise).
- Cut horizontally making 2 to 3 inch pieces.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder on the eggplants.
- Toss to coat each piece of eggplant well.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of cooking oil(canola oil) in a large skillet or pan.
- Arrange eggplants in single row in the pan. Roast eggplants in small batches if you have to, make sure you don’t over crowd the pan.
- Roast on medium heat 3 to 5 minutes. Flip them over and cook on other side.
- Eggplants will turn dark brown once roasted. It will be almost cooked and skin will be wilted.
- Remove it from pot and set aside until use.
Make Curry Sauce:
- In the same pan add remaining oil. Once oil is hot enough, add black mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
- Add onions (sliced or diced) and sauté until it turns transparent.
- Add Serrano peppers (optional), minced ginger-garlic and curry leaves. Cook for a minute with constant stirring.
- Pour tomato pulp (or tomato passata). Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until tomato is cooked well.
- It’s time for spice powders. In goes turmeric powder, chili powder (cayenne pepper), cumin powder, coriander powder and salt to taste. Mix well.
- Pour half cup water and let it come to rapid boil.
- Add roasted eggplants to the sauce.
- Partially cover and simmer cook for about 20-30 minutes. Give a gentle stir once or twice and add water as needed if sauce turns too dry. Do NOT add too much water. Your curry should be thick.
- Pour thick full fat coconut milk and stir well.
- Wait for a minute and turn off heat.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice, roti(flatbread) or biryani.
Useful tips to make best eggplant curry
- Use can use any type of eggplant. Even the smaller ones or baby eggplants. Make sure to cut same size so it cooks evenly.
- Roasting eggplants can be done in oven if you prefer that. While roasting eggplants in a pan on stove top, make sure you don’t over crowd them. Roast in one single layer and cook on both side until it’s almost done.
- Tomato pulp is made by blanching whole tomatoes in boiling water for 4 minutes. Then remove skin and pulse it in processor. Use canned crushed tomatoes as substitute.
- Use fresh curry leaves. No substitute for curry leaves, don’t recommend to skip it either. If you can’t get fresh, use dried curry leaves, not quite the same flavors, but that is the best substitute for it. Curry leaves gives distinct South Indian flavor which cannot be achieved by using bay leaves in place.
- Same goes with mustard seeds. Use black/brown mustard seeds only for authentic South Indian flavor in the curry. Yellow/white mustard seeds won’t work in the same way and won’t give you the same flavor.
- If you tasted the real Indian curries, you know that it has layers of spices that hits your palate at different levels. It’s achieved by add different spices like turmeric powder, red chili or cayenne pepper, cumin powder and coriander powder.
- This eggplant curry is thick, rich and dense in flavors. Use thick full cream coconut milk for the curry.
FAQS
Use can use any type of eggplant. Even the smaller ones or baby eggplants. Make sure to cut same size so it cooks evenly.
Roasting eggplants is important step to make smoky, flavorful curry.
Roasting eggplants can be done in oven if you prefer that. While roasting eggplants in a pan on stove top, make sure you don’t over crowd them. Roast in one single layer and cook on both side until it’s almost done.
It has a good amount of heat but the heat is balanced with full cream coconut milk added to the curry. For my palate it’s definitely not a spicy curry. I’d call it a well balanced curry.
If you can’t handle heat at all, feel free to reduce chili powder in the curry recipe.
OTHER INDIAN CURRY RECIPES YOU WOULD LOVE –
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📋 RECIPE: South Indian Eggplant Curry
Ingredients
- 1 lb eggplant brinjal or aubergine (400 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil canola oil
Curry Sauce-
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil canola oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (also called brown mustard seeds)
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup tomato pulp or tomato Passata, see Notes 3
- 1 Serrano peppers optional, use with seeds if you want extra heat
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced fine
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 cup water plus extra as needed
- Kosher salt to taste
- ¼ cup coconut milk thick full cream
Spice Powders –
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder cayenne pepper – use more if you like to increase heat
- 2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 3 teaspoon coriander powder
Instructions
Roasting Eggplants:
- Chop eggplants lengthwise into half in the center. Cut each half into two(again in the center lengthwise).
- Cut horizontally making 2 to 3 inch pieces.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder on the eggplants.
- Toss to coat each piece of eggplant well.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of cooking oil(canola oil) in a large skillet or pan.
- Arrange eggplants in single row in the pan. Roast eggplants in small batches if you have to, make sure you don’t over crowd the pan.
- Roast on medium heat 3 to 5 minutes. Flip them over and cook on other side.
- Eggplants will turn dark brown once roasted. It will be almost cooked and skin will be wilted.
- Remove it from pot and set aside until use.
Make Curry Sauce:
- In the same pan add remaining oil. Once oil is hot enough, add black mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
- Add onions (sliced or diced) and saute until it turns transparent.
- Add Serrano peppers (optional), minced ginger-garlic and curry leaves. Cook for a minute constantly stirring.
- Pour tomato pulp (or tomato passata). Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until tomato is cooked well.
- It’s time for spice powders. In goes turmeric powder, chili powder (cayenne pepper), cumin powder, coriander powder and salt to taste. Mix well.
- Pour half cup water and let it come to rapid boil.
- Add roasted eggplants to the sauce.
- Partially cover and simmer cook for about 20-30 minutes. Give a gentle stir once or twice and add water as needed if sauce turns too dry. Do NOT add too much water. Your curry should be thick.
- Pour thick full fat coconut milk and stir well.
- Wait for a minute and turn off heat.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with rice, roti(flatbread) or biryani.
Video
Notes
- Use can use any type of eggplant. Even the smaller ones or baby eggplants. Make sure to cut same size so it cooks evenly.
- Roasting eggplants can be done in oven if you prefer that. While roasting eggplants in a pan on stove top, make sure you don’t over crowd them. Roast in one single layer and cook on both side until it’s almost done.
- Tomato pulp is made by blanching whole tomatoes in boiling water for 4 minutes. Then remove skin and pulse it in processor. Use can use canned crushed tomatoes as substitute.
- Use fresh curry leaves. No substitute for curry leaves, don’t recommend skipping it. If you can’t get fresh, use dried curry leaves, not quite the same flavors, but that is the best substitute for it. Curry leaves gives distinct South Indian flavor which cannot be achieved by using bay leaves in place.
- Same goes with mustard seeds. Use black or brown mustard seeds only for authentic South Indian flavor in the curry. Yellow/white mustard seeds won’t work in the same way and won’t give you the same flavor.
- If you tasted the real Indian curries, you know that it has layers of spices that hits your palate at different levels. It’s achieved by add different spices like turmeric powder, red chili or cayenne pepper, cumin powder and coriander powder. You can get the same flavors by using curry powder.
- This curry is thick, rich and dense in flavors. Use thick full cream coconut milk for the curry.
Comments & Reviews
Naomi says
I’m going to try and roast the eggplant in the oven. I might have to coat them with a little oil to get them to darken quickly.
Candyc says
Your instructions do not I say when one is supposed to add the ginger and garlic. Plu, you did not include the mustard seeds (or the needed amount) in the list of ingredients.
Jyothi Rajesh says
Sorry for the confusion. I have updated the recipe card now.
Kathrin says
This was delicious Jyothi. I served it with some frozen Onion Paratha. Will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing.
Jyothi Rajesh says
So glad to hear you loved it Kathrin!