Indulge in a bowl of this comforting Roasted Eggplant Curry with Chickpeas. Made with simple and budget-friendly ingredients, it’s a warmly spiced and rich-flavored meal that’s perfect for easy weeknight dinners or healthy lunches!
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!
Frequently asked questions
You can make it with any variety of eggplant you have on hand or that you can find in your local grocery store or farmer’s market. American, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese eggplant all work well! What’s most important is to use medium-sized eggplants (about 550 grams each) that don’t have many marks or dents and are shiny, not dull, in color.
It’s up to you! The peel tenderizes as it cooks and is very easy to eat. Still, if you prefer to peel the eggplant first, you can.
I highly recommend roasting the eggplant because it deepens the flavors and yields the best texture. But if you’re making this during summer and it’s too hot to turn on your oven, cook the cubed eggplant in a hot skillet on the stovetop instead. Add the cubes to the curry when you add the chickpeas and simmer it a bit longer until the eggplant is tender.
The Indian spices in this recipe give the curry sauce a subtle warmth rather than an intense heat. If you’d like to jazz it up with some heat, saute 1 to 3 diced green chili peppers along with the onion and bell pepper.
Yes. Use 1 cup of water in its place (or as much as needed to reach the consistency you like) or cashew cream instead. Even unsweetened soy or almond milk will add some creaminess.
You can replace the chickpeas with another protein if you like. Use cannellini beans, black beans, baked tofu, pan-fried tempeh, or seitan chicken instead.
Once the curry is cooled to room temperature, transfer it to airtight containers and store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It also freezes well for about 3 months.
Roasted Eggplant Curry with Chickpeas
Ingredients
Roasted Eggplant
- 2 medium eggplants
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
The Rest
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for sautéing
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala OR use curry powder *I prefer garam masala but curry powder works
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated *or use 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
For Serving
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
- 4 cups cooked white or brown rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Cut the tops off of the eggplant, then chop into 1 inch cubes. There is no need to peel the eggplant, unless you prefer to.
- Add the eggplant chunks to the baking sheet, and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir to coat the eggplant in the oil, then spread out and sprinkle with a salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the eggplant is tender.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the onion and red bell pepper for 4-5 minutes, until translucent and soft.
- Now stir in the spices: coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric and garam masala (or curry powder). If the mixture gets too dry, add a few tablespoon of water to de-glaze the pan a bit. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 more minute.
- To the skillet, add the canned diced tomatoes, coconut milk and chickpeas. Stir. Once the eggplant is done roasting, add to the skillet as well and stir in. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes. Add salt to taste.
- Serve over cooked rice, fresh chopped cilantro/parsley and perhaps a side of vegan naan if desired.
Notes
- Roasting the eggplant brings out the best flavor and texture in my opinion, but if it’s the middle of summer and you don’t want to turn on your oven, you could simply cook in on the stovetop. Add it when you add the chickpeas and simmer a bit longer until the eggplant is tender.
- Light coconut milk works, it simply won’t be as creamy. Or use cashew cream or even almond milk.
- Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days. It freezes quite well, too.
My husband (who is not so sure about eggplant) and I (who loves eggplant) both really enjoyed this dish! I added some spinach too. Looking forward to the leftovers and making it again! Thanks!
I’m so glad you both enjoyed the curry! This is one of my favorite recipes! Thank you for taking your time to share you review!
This recipe is super tasty and fun to make
Thank you! Glad you loved it!
Turned out great! Added some red pepper flakes for my husband’s love of spicy. Could certainly follow the recipe with zucchini or yellow squash. Leaving the skin on with the eggplant insures this doesn’t turn into mush.
Thank you, Cheryl, for sharing your great review! I’m glad the curry turned out great for you!
This is an eggplant lovers dish. It is delicious.
I’m glad you love it, Jeff! Thank you for sharing!
Really good! I’ll make it again
Thanks Margaret!
Truly delicious and not hard to make. I didn’t have paprika, smoked or otherwise and it was still delicious.
Thanks Gloria! Glad you love it!
This was amazing! So delicious and full of flavor. Healthy too! It was absolutely perfect on a cold winter’s night. I had it over a mix of brown rice and cauliflower rice and topped it with a dollop of plain yogurt for some cool contrast. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hi Haruko. I’m so glad you love the curry! This is one of my mother-in-law’s favorite meals, and she also loves to top it with a dollop of plain yogurt! Thank you for using my recipe, and for taking your time to share!
So delicious. I did add a zucchini because I had to use it quickly. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. I served it over quinoa. My bf loved it. Thanks for a great recipe. BTW, roasting the eggplant really does make a difference. Don’t skip this step.
Hi Denise. I’m glad you and your boyfriend loved the curry! I agree that roasted eggplant is delicious! Thank you!
Absolutely delicious! Only used one eggplant though and used a few tablespoons of leftover vegetable broth I need to use up to deglaze the pan instead of water.
Hi Kiera. I’m glad you found the recipe delicious! Thank you!
An excellent recipe, Thank you! On my Home Screen for quick reference
WOW, first time making a “curry” and it was delicious!
I didn’t have chickpeas & canned tomatoes, subbed rinsed canned northern white beans & grape tomatoes … as a reminder to others, think outside the box a little if you don’t have an ingredient(s) ~ think about what you have & flavors you know you like/pair-well.
Delish!!!!! I used garam masala instead of curry and have no regrets. To add to the flavor, I oven roasted the red pepper, eggplant, onions and chickpeas together for 17 minutes. I was out ginger and took a chance by chopping up two hunks of candied ginger. It was a hit with the family!
Absolutely positively delicious! Thanks for sharing. This one is a keeper.
Holy curry! Nora, this recipe rocks! I made it as written with the exception of swapping out tofu for the chickpeas as I had some to use up and using roasted eggplant since I had a bunch left from another recipe. I love the silky richness of the sauce, the spice so well balanced. I might try a lowfat coconut milk next time but I feel that either would work deliciously! Thanks so much for this posting..
You’re welcome!
I got some eggplant from my Mom’s garden and this was the perfect recipe for them. I am the worst cook, meaning, I’m only average but am picky about flavors and textures. So I end up tossing half the stuff I try to make. I froze half of it thinking I wouldn’t be able to eat it all in a few days. I’m about to pull it out of the freezer just a few days after I put it in! Can’t believe I’m actually going to eat all of this. No food wasted. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Can you make this without the coconut milk? I don’t do coconut milk.
Yes, you can leave it out. Simply add a cup of water, or a little more until it’s at a consistency you like, or substitute cashew cream instead. Even unsweetened soy or almond milk would add some creaminess.
Made Roasted eggplant curry with chickpea for dinner. Used green bell pepper and black pepper since didn’t have paprika. We will see how they like it!
I made this for lunch today and oh my it was scrumptious. Topped with cilantro over brown rice it truly felt like I was at a restaurant and even my 3 year old was saying mom this is delicious ???
That’s so great to hear!
Quick, easy, and delicious. What more can you ask for in a recipe? And great as leftovers / as meal prep for a few days. Keeps really well & even gets more flavourful with time.
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for the great comment!
Great, easily adaptable recipe. I am new to your site and excited by all the things I want to make. I tend to be improvisational when it comes to cooking so I love recipes that enable me to make changes based on what I have. This recipe has a nice base- I kept the sauce and spices the same (except I didn’t have coriander), then used all other ingredients plus fresh garlic, and other veggies I had on hand, including potatoes (I love potatoes in curry). It hit the spot.
I also recently made your golden fried rice and similarly added extra veggies I had and some Cauliflower rice in addition to regular rice. The tofu mix was delicious. Can’t wait to try more recipes!
Thanks for the comment! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
My ipad was acting up so not sure you got this msg Nora, but we loved this recipe. Ron does all the meals and I bake. He’s fussy about recipes, says, “no suggestions or changes to my cooking…” He “agreed” to make this last night and loved it, remarked how wonderful it was all thru the eating. Good job Nora, thnx.
You’re welcome! So glad it was good!
This was an absolute hit with my family! Served it with some yummy basmati rice.
Thanks, Nora! Your recipes are amazing.
You’re so welcome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Oh my goodness! So delicious! I used 1/2 tsp of garam masala and 1/2 tsp of curry and it was mighty yummy. I also pan-roasted the eggplant, and it was delectable. Thanks for the excellent recipe!
You’re so welcome!! Thanks for the comment!
I’m just wondering about the coriander, is this fresh or dried that you use? Thank you.
Dried and ground coriander. Thanks!
I love eggplant and this recipe is delicious!