This Thai Red Eggplant Curry is loaded with umami savory flavor, combining fried eggplant with sauteed onion, classic Thai spices, red curry paste, creamy coconut milk, fresh lime juice, and juicy tomatoes.
Curry is an extremely versatile dish. Today’s Thai red curry version highlights how easy it is to make a meatless curry without sacrificing taste or texture. The eggplant adds a meaty dimension to this curry dish that’ll even have the meat eaters begging for more!
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Why It's Yummy
- Oh my (Thai) flavors! Thai red curry paste is a captivating mix of lemongrass, red chili pepper, coriander root, and kaffir lime peel. It's packed with incredible flavor. While some recipes go all in and add authentic Thai ingredients, I don’t find it necessary. The true star here is creamy coconut milk – the ideal companion for this red curry.
- One-pot meal. And guess what? You don't need a bunch of pots and pans for this – just one trusty sauté pan or a good old wok will do the trick. That means super easy cleanup. No fuss, no mess!
- Quick. And let's not forget about simplicity. This curry with eggplant is ready in 30 minutes. Just throw in some healthy grains like rice or quinoa, add some fresh veggies, and you've got yourself a complete and delicious meal. Or simple naan bread will work too!
Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Eggplant - Thai, Globe, Italian, or Japanese eggplant. Select an eggplant that boasts smooth and glossy skin, a resilient texture, and a green stem free from any signs of browning or softness. Green Thai eggplants are the classic ingredient in Thai curries, but these can only be found in Asian supermarkets. If you have them, use them instead, about 6-8 pieces cut in half or quarters.
- Olive oil - coconut oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil, or vegetable oil can be used.
- Yellow onion - diced or chopped onion.
- Red curry paste - for that classic Thai curry flavor. You can also use Panang curry paste or green curry paste. The heat level varies from one brand to another, so feel free to double the paste if needed. Thai Kitchen brand is great.
- Canned coconut milk - canned full-fat coconut milk will add the most flavor. Go for the pure kind with just coconut pulp and water, no additives.
- Fresh cilantro - for serving or use Thai basil.
- Fresh lime juice - bottled lime juice or lemon juice can be used in a pinch.
- Maple syrup - this or coconut sugar can be added towards the end of the recipe as an optional extra. Adds so much flavor, but tastes great without too!
- Flavor boosters - the recipe is simple and you don’t need difficult ingredients. However if you want to go the extra mile I recommend adding a small stalk of lemongrass, 2-3 kaffir leaves or powder, 1 small can of bamboo shots for some crunch, fresh ginger (1-2 pieces, cut into thick slices), fresh Thai basil leaves, fresh birdseye chili for serving.
Instructions
If serving with rice, start cooking it now.
For the curry. Start by cutting the eggplant into 1-2 inch cubes. Remember not to chop them too small, as they tend to shrink during cooking.
Add olive oil to the large skillet (or smaller pot) over medium heat and cook the eggplant pieces, stirring for 5 minutes. Season the eggplant with salt and black pepper.
Next, add garlic and onion, along with red curry paste and spices. This will give your curry a rich and aromatic base. Cook for another 5 minutes until onion and garlic become fragrant.
Pour in coconut milk and diced tomatoes into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Allow it to simmer on low heat for approximately 15-25 minutes. Taste for seasoning again and adjust salt and black pepper if needed. This simmering time will infuse all the flavors together, resulting in a savory and hearty curry.
After you've simmered the curry, drizzle it with lime juice, stir through and remove it from the heat, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
During this resting period, the curry will naturally thicken, and its flavors will meld even further.
Optional add-in: for sweetness, I love to add a drizzle of maple syrup, it helps with the overall flavor and enriches the curry.
Serve this delicious curry with a dollop of yogurt, naan bread, and freshly steamed basmati rice with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and a wedge of lime!
📋 FLAVOR & TEXTURE: rich, vibrant, complex, creamy, aromatic, mildly spicy, and with earthy flavor of eggplant.
Tips
- Don’t cut the eggplant too small, as it naturally shrinks in size from cooking.
- Choose a firm and glossy type of eggplant without blemishes for this vegetable curry. Try to cut the eggplant into uniform-sized cubes for cooking.
- I’ve used a medium eggplant, but you could use two small eggplants instead. Baby eggplants tend to have a sweeter taste.
- The salt added to the eggplant in the skillet not only seasons the dish but also reduces any bitterness from the eggplant.
- You can adjust the consistency of curry by adding in more coconut milk, vegetable broth, or a little water.
- For a low-carb version of this aubergine curry, serve it over cauliflower rice instead of regular white rice.
- Eggplants vary in flavor. Bigger, fully-grown eggplants may be more bitter as their larger seeds tend to retain the most bitter flavors. I didn't salt the eggplant here and after simmering and cooking it doesn't taste bitter at all. If this is something you are used to doing, then check out the info below.
How do you get the bitterness out of eggplant?
The most effective method is to give it a pre-salt treatment. Here's what you can do: simply sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt over the chopped eggplant and let it sit in a colander for at least 30 minutes. Some sources recommend soaking eggplant in milk.
After that, give it a gentle rinse with water and pat it dry. This nifty process will help rid the eggplant of its excess moisture and bitterness, leaving you with a more delightful veggie to cook with.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. Store leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days .
- To Freeze. You may freeze it for up to 3 months however I didn't like the mushy texture of eggplants after thawing, but the flavor was still delicious like on the day of making!
FAQs
No. The skin adds some texture and healthy fiber to the pieces of eggplant. I only recommend peeling eggplant for this curry if you use a larger or older eggplant, as the skin can become bitter.
I recommend cutting the eggplant into 1-2 inch cubes for this Indian eggplant curry. Don’t cut the eggplant smaller than this, as it will shrink while cooking.
Absolutely! It’s a fantastic alternative to carb-rich potatoes or meat. The eggplant provides a meaty texture and rich flavor to curry while also being low in calories and rich in nutrients like iron and essential minerals.
More Eggplant Recipes To Try Out
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Recipe
Thai Red Curry With Eggplant
INGREDIENTS
- 4-5 cups chopped eggplant (cut into 1-2 inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
- 1 cup yellow onion (diced)
- 3-4 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 3 teaspoon red curry paste (or panang curry paste)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika (regular or sweet, not smoked)
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes)
- fresh cilantro for serving
- 1 fresh lime (juiced)
- 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (or coconut sugar (optional))
- salt & black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- If serving with rice, start cooking it now.
- Start by cutting the eggplant into 1-2 inch cubes. Remember not to chop them too small, as they tend to shrink during cooking.
- Add olive oil to the large skillet (or smaller pot) over medium heat and cook the eggplant pieces, stirring for 5 minutes. Season the eggplant with salt and black pepper.
- Next, add in garlic and onion, along with red curry paste and spices. Cook for another 5 minutes until onion and garlic become fragrant.
- Pour in coconut milk and diced tomatoes to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow it to simmer on low heat for approximately 15-25 minutes. Taste for seasoning again and adjust salt and black pepper if needed. This simmering time will infuse all the flavors together, resulting in a savory and hearty curry.
- After you've simmered the curry, drizzle with lime juice, stir through and remove it from the heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. During this resting period, the curry will naturally thicken, and its flavors will meld even further.
- Optional add-in: for sweetness I love to add a drizzle of maple syrup, it helps with the overall flavor and enriches the curry.
- Serve your scrumptious eggplant curry over the perfectly cooked rice, fresh cilantro and enjoy!
NOTES
- This curry makes about 4 smaller servings or 2 large.
- To Store. Store leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To Freeze. You may freeze it for up to 3 months however I didn't like the mushy texture of eggplants after thawing, but the flavor was still delicious like on the day of making!
- How to get the bitterness out of eggplant? The most effective method is to give it a pre-salt treatment. Here's what you can do: simply sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt over the chopped eggplant and let it sit in a colander for at least 30 minutes. Some sources recommend soaking eggplant in milk. After that, give it a gentle rinse with water and pat it dry.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Perfect vegetable curry ready in 30 minutes!