Aubergine and Tomato Curry

5 minutes

Aubergine is one of the best vegetables to include in a curry. It’s perfect for taking on spice and will leave you feeling full. If you’re not an aubergine convert yet, you must try my Aubergine and Tomato Curry recipe.

It’s loaded with iconic Indian spices you’re familiar with (don’t worry, no obscure spices here), sweetness from tomatoes and the creaminess of coconut milk.

How to Make Aubergine and Tomato Curry

Step 1: First, prep the two main ingredients for the curry: Aubergine and tomatoes. Cut the aubergine up into 2cm chunks. You don’t need to remove the skin or seeds from the aubergine.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges, depending on how big they are and remove the seeds.

Step 2: The next step is to cook the aubergine. Heat some oil in a pan and add your aubergine chunks. Toss to coat in the oil and then cook for around 10 minutes until golden brown and soft.

Remove the aubergine from the pan and leave to one side in a bowl.

Step 3: Now, you need to start building up your curry base. Add some more oil to the same pan, and then cook your onions. They should be brown and softened. This will take around 5 minutes.

Once cooked, add in your garlic, ginger and cumin seeds and cook for another minute until your kitchen smells delicious!

Step 4: You can now add the remaining spices and cook them for another minute or so. Ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and salt tend to work well but you can experiment with whatever you have in the cupboard.

Fenugreek, mustard seeds, ground ginger, curry powder, onion seeds, cloves and cardamom can all be added for a different flavour profile.

Step 5: Tip the tomato wedges into the pan, stir to coat them all in the onion/spice mixture, then cover the pan and cook for around 10 minutes. You want the tomatoes to have softened and released plenty of their juices.

Step 6: Return the aubergine to the pan along with a full can of coconut milk. Stir everything, then turn the heat right down. Leave the curry to simmer for 15 minutes or so.

The curry is pretty much cooked at this point but you’re looking for it to reduce to the right consistency. Nobody wants a runny, watery curry!

Step 7: When you’re happy with the curry’s appearance, give it a quick taste and adjust the seasoning. You can then serve it sprinkled with plenty of chopped fresh coriander.

Serve

So you’ve got a pot of steaming hot aubergine and tomato curry,

• Naan Bread: You need something to soak up all the sauce you’ll have left on your plate, and naan bread does just that. If you want to make your own naan-esque bread then try these 3-ingredient flatbreads.
• Steamed Basmati Rice: An obvious side dish to serve with a curry, but it’s a must. Don’t just stick to plain basmati rice. There are a few easy ways to add plenty of flavour to it without any effort. Add a few cloves, cardamon pods or cumin seeds when you cook the rice for an instant flavour boost.
• Condiments: I like to serve my curries with 3 condiments so that everyone can tweak the curry for their tastes. Mango chutney, raita and a hot lime pickle are essentials. Mango chutney can add sweetness, raita can balance out the spice and a lime pickle can add spice.

Tweak

My aubergine and tomato curry is delicious as is. But there are plenty of ways you can tweak it to your tastes or create brand-new dishes:

• Add Chicken: If you insist on having a meat element, stir through some cooked, shredded roast chicken when you return the aubergine to the pan. You could also cook cubed chicken breast with the aubergine at the start.
• Go Spicy: I’ve kept things fairly family-friendly with just a little chilli powder. If you want to bring more heat, add a sliced green chilli to cook the garlic and ginger.
• Bulk It Out More: Add a tin of cooked green lentils or chickpeas when you return the aubergine to the pan to bulk it out while adding a healthy ingredient to the curry.
• Go Green: We all know how good greens are for us. At the end of cooking the curry, grab a handful of spinach leaves and fold them into the curry. The residual heat will wilt the spinach into the sauce.
• Turn It Into a Soup: Tip the curry into the blender and blitz until smooth. You will need to add around 200ml of water to loosen it a little but you’ll have an instant curried aubergine and tomato soup.

Store

This is a great dish to batch prepare and store for a quick midweek meal. Here are the best ways to store it:

Refrigerate: Let the curry cool down to room temperature, transfer it into airtight containers, and place it in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 3-4 days.

Freeze: Cool the curry to room temperature, put it into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, ensuring to leave some space for expansion, and freeze. You can freeze curry for up to 3 months.

Reheat: For refrigerated curry, reheat it on the hob over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. For the frozen curry, thaw overnight in the refrigerator first, then reheat on the hob or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.