Eggplant Chickpea Curry

Eggplant Chickpea Curry is vegan, gluten-free, rich, creamy, flavorsome, and very healthy. It is made with eggplant, chickpeas and the gravy comes from creamy coconut milk. This curry is jam-packed with flavor and aroma from Caribbean spices like a scotch bonnet, thyme, paprika, etc.

Curries are luscious, and despite the complexity of flavors, they are very easy to make. The same goes for this eggplant curry. It is very effortless to make, and you can get it on a plate in no more them 45 to 50 minutes. Despite being vegan, this curry is so flavorsome that it is equally loved by non-vegans.

The unique combination of eggplants and chickpea make this curry stand out from the other vegetable curries. You can serve it with rice or flatbread and enjoy it! Here is what you will need for this tasteful curry:

If you love eggplant, you will also love, Air Fryer Eggplant, Eggplant Stir Fry, and Vegan Eggplant Parmesan.

Ingredient breakdown

• Eggplant: The first main ingredient of this delicious curry is eggplant. When buying eggplant, make sure you look for the one that has shiny skin and is firm to touch. Never choose a vegetable that is mushy and very soft to touch. Furthermore, always choose small to medium eggplants. That’s because they won’t have bitterness and will have fewer seeds as compares to large ones. Read Top 10 Health Benefits Of Eggplant.
• Chickpeas: The next main ingredient is chickpeas. Chickpeas are naturally gluten-free and high in protein. You can go for canned chickpeas. Don’t forget to rinse them before adding them to the curry. Furthermore, you can also go for home-cooked chickpeas. Soak them for about 6 hours before cooking them. Soaking chickpeas reduces the cooking time and also some natural substances that cause bloating. You can freeze the cooked chickpeas for convenience as well.
• Coconut milk: Coconut milk is a must ingredient for creamy curries. It adds flavor, richness, and creaminess to the curries.
• Water: You will need water to adjust the consistency of this curry. If you are looking for more flavor, add vegetable stock instead of water as well.
• Onion: You can use either white or red onion for this curry. Chop them finely for perfect results.
• Garlic: You can’t miss garlic in a curry! It adds a delicious garlicky flavor and so much depth to the curry.
• Green onions: Use both the white and green parts of the green onion.
• Ginger: Ginger also adds a complexity of flavor to this eggplant curry.
• Coconut oil: You can use either coconut or olive oil for this curry. Avocado oil also works well.
• Scotch bonnet pepper: Scotch bonnet pepper is super-hot. It is a perfect ingredient for those who love heat in their curries. You can adjust the heat by adding a controlled amount of this pepper.
• Thyme sprigs: Fresh thyme sprig is full of herbaceous flavor. It adds freshness to the curry.
• Curry powder: What curry is complete without curry powder? You can choose a store-bought curry powder or make it at home as well. All you need is chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, ginger powder, and pepper.
• Paprika: Paprika has a sweet, smoky, and spicy flavor. You can add it according to your liking. Its flavor is strong and stands out.
• Cumin: Cumin has a warm and strong flavor which gives the curry a unique flavor.

How to make eggplant chickpea curry?

Curries are not just tasteful and rich but are convenient as well. That’s mainly because it is super easy to make and is a one-pot dish. You can effortlessly make delicious vegan curry. here is what you have to do:

step 1: Start by heating coconut oil in the saucepan or pot. Place it on medium heat.

Step 2: Now add the spices, i.e., curry powder, cumin powder, paprika, and let them cook until they turn golden. Make sure you don’t burn the spices. You can take the pan off the heat to let them cook.

Step 3: Now add the chopped onion and sauté it for 2 to 3 minutes until it gets tender.

Step 4: Add garlic, grated ginger, thyme sprig, green onion, and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant.

Step 5: Add diced eggplant. And chickpeas. Mix well so that they are coated with spices.

Step 6: Pour water, coconut milk and mix well. Add scotch bonnet pepper and season with salt.

Step 7: Stir and Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to let it simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes or until you get the thick consistency you require.

Step 8: As an optional step, you can mash the ingredients using a potato masher. It will create a mushy texture of the curry.

Step 9: Garnish it with freshly chopped parsley or cilantro and serve.

Tips for making eggplant chickpea curry

You can easily make an eggplant curry. It is a straightforward process. However, a few tricks can make them taste even better. Here is what you should keep in mind:

• Always choose small to medium eggplant for mild flavor and few seeds.
• To remove bitterness from eggplant, soak it in cold salted water for about 20 minutes. Drain, rinse and let it dry.
• You can use olive oil or avocado oil instead of coconut oil as well.
• If you don’t want to use scotch bonnet pepper, use red chili powder.
• You can replace the paprika powder with cayenne powder as well.
• If you don’t have a fresh thyme sprig, you can add dried thyme as well.
• You can add more flavor to this curry by adding chopped or crushed tomatoes as well.
• To bring in a smoky flavor to this curry, roast the diced eggplant so that it gets a golden-brown flavor. Add the roasted eggplant and reduce the quantity of water to half.
• You can add vegetable stock instead of water as well. Furthermore, add vegetable bouillon dissolved in water for more flavor.
• You can add garam masala or all-spice powder instead of curry powder as well.
• If you are using frozen chickpeas, thaw them first and then add them to the curry.

How to store eggplant chickpea curry?

You can store the leftover curry by placing it in an airtight container and storing it in the refrigerator. It will last for up to 3 days. Furthermore, you can also freeze the leftover eggplant and chickpea curry. Place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze. It will last for up to 2 months. You can reheat it on the stovetop and enjoy it.

Because you can store it for a longer time, this curry is perfect for making in advance. You can also make it in a large batch and store it to feed the crown later.

What to serve with eggplant chickpea curry?

Curries go well with a number of sides. here are a few to name:

• Rice: Garlic rice, plain basmati rice, or jasmine rice. You have so many choices to serve this eggplant curry with. Rice and curries are like bread and butter. They go so well together and turn your meal in to complete meal.
• Noodles: Try this curry with noodles. You can use rice noodles. The curry will go very well with it.
• Flatbread: Flatbread or naan is traditionally a must side with every curry. They are soft and soak up the goodness from the curry.
• Bread bowl: A rather fancy way of serving this dish is in a bread bowl. You can present this combination at a dinner party, and the guests will go wild! Trust me!

Try this rich and scrumptious eggplant and chickpea curry at home. I bet you will love it!

Other Vegan Chickpea Curry Recipes 

1. Chickpea Curry Jamaican Style
2. Curry Chana

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