Never did I ever think I would post a spicy recipe on my blog, or an eggplant recipe on my blog. Here we are, and I can officially say that my tastebuds have matured: hello, spicy flavorful bowl of Spiced Indian Eggplant Curry. With chopsticks, because the traditional way of eating curry scooped up into naan will leave you with yellow curry fingernails.
I wouldn’t be at the tastebud-maturity level that I am today without our incredible trip to India. Without much control over the spice of my food since we ate out all of our meals, I quickly learned to love the flavors of Indian cuisine and realized that spice can come with flavor!
I was excited by the time our Indian cooking class rolled around because I knew I wanted the ability to recreate these flavors at home. This dish was one of many that we made in the class, and one of my favorites! I have recreated the recipe in a healthier version (less oil, added spinach) with a much shorter ingredient list (fewer hard-to-find spices).
- 2 lbs eggplant (~ 2 large)
- 1 large red onion
- 5-7 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon tumeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
- 3 cups chopped spinach
- Dice eggplant into 1" chunks and submerge in a bowl full of water. Set aside.
- Add red onion and garlic cloves to a food processor and puree together.
- In a large soup pot, heat oil on medium and add in the onion and garlic puree. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add all spices and cook for about 3-5 minutes until fragrant.
- Add in the water, salt, and chopped grape tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain the eggplant and add it to the pot, mixing well to cover it in the curry sauce. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure even cooking.
- Add the spinach and turn off the heat. Adjust salt if necessary and serve over rice or with naan.
I encourage you to take up the challenge and collect a few spices to make this curry – you will find yourself amazed that such flavorful spice can come out of your own kitchen.
This recipe was a fun way to relive the spices that made India so flavorful, and a way to use the garam masala I purchased there. All my other spices are from Penzey’s Spices, but are easily available at grocery stores (check the bulk bins for spices – sometimes I get an essential ingredient for 10 cents because I only need a dash!).
Marisa
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen says
I just made eggplant curry yesterday! Yours, however, is MUCH MUCH MUCH prettier than mine. How did you make it so photogenic? 🙂
Also, I definitely cheated and used a curry powder blend….but, hey, at least I got my Indian kick?
Marisa says
That’s awesome! Curry powder blends can make life much easier 😀
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
This is my kind of dish! Indian cuisine is my favorite!
(But I don’t understand the chop-sticks….hahaha NOT Asian!)
Marisa says
Someone caught me 🙂 Yep, just wanted another prop in the photo and didn’t consider until after I ate my eggplant curry (yum) that chopsticks don’t apply to the whole Asian continent. Glad to hear of another Indian food lover!
Amy @ The Little Honey Bee says
If anyone and their recipes could make me like curry, it would be you and yours. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for these spices my next trip to the bulk food store! Excited for the recap on Friday
Marisa says
I hope you try it out Amy!! I think it’s another way to make veggies more exciting.
LydiaF says
Eggplant was a revelation to me the first time I had it cooked properly. I love it! Your curry looks gorgeous!
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
Mmmm….. yellow curry fingernails. Nothing better! I can’t do too much spice but I bet Miguel would love this!
Marisa says
It is really easy to tone down too – just use less red chili powder and adjust the spices as ya go! Hope you and Miguel enjoy 🙂
Kammie | Sensual Appeal Blog says
Wow this sounds just AH-mazing. I love Indian food. Nicely done! <3