Roasted eggplant cubes and chickpeas swim in an aromatic, warmly spiced coconut curry sauce in this Vegan Eggplant Curry recipe. Serve it with rice and vegan naan for an easy weeknight dinner or a healthy lunch!
Do you love vegan curry as much as I do? Then you should try my Easy Potato Curry, my Lentil Curry, or my Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas next!
One bite of this Roasted Eggplant Curry with Chickpeas and Coconut Milk and you’ll wonder why you’ve never put eggplant in curry before. Oven-roasted eggplant adds a ton of flavor to every bite and melts into the luxurious curry-spiced sauce. I love serving it with vegan naan for cozy weeknight dinners, then eating the leftovers for a healthy lunch the next day.
Between the eggplant, chickpeas, and aromatics in every scoop, this is one seriously comforting late-summer meal!
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“I’ve made this dish several times and every time I do, I love it even more. It’s always loved by so many people that I’ve made it for also. Definitely would recommend. Full of flavors, healthy, and easy to make!” – Amira
Why you’ll love this eggplant chickpea curry
- Rich, complex flavors – After about 30 minutes in the oven, the roasted eggplant takes on deep, savory, and caramelized notes that transfer right into the curry sauce.
- Perfect for late summer – Eggplant is in season from July through October. Pick up a few different varieties from the farmer’s market and put them to use in this cozy brinjal curry! Any extras would be perfect in my Vegan Eggplant Parmesan.
- Budget-friendly – A handful of vegetables, dry spices, and canned ingredients make this vegan curry recipe incredibly affordable. Bonus: the leftovers taste even better the next day, so nothing goes to waste.
How to make roasted eggplant curry with chickpeas
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Cube the eggplant and spread out the pieces on a baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over top, season with salt, and toss to coat. Bake the eggplant until it’s tender.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion and red bell pepper in a skillet until soft. Stir in the spices and let them bloom for 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger.
Stir the diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and chickpeas in with the aromatics. Add the roasted eggplant to the pan and simmer the mixture.
Serve the warm vegan eggplant curry in bowls with cooked basmati rice, fresh cilantro on top, and Indian flatbread on the side. Vegan naan is my favorite, but roti or chapati is good, too. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
A few of my readers have commented on how eggplant and curry skeptics love this eggplant curry. And that’s thanks to roasted eggplant. Rather than tasting bitter or slimy, the oven completely transforms the eggplant into a caramelized, savory veggie that melts into the curry sauce.
I season the eggplant cubes with a pinch of salt before they go in the oven just to bring out more flavor, but that’s it.
It’s up to you! The thin peel tenderizes as it cooks, making it very easy to eat. Still, if you prefer to peel the eggplant first, you can do so.
No. The coconut milk can easily be swapped with 1 cup of plain cashew cream or a creamy, full-fat plant milk, like oat milk or soy milk.
The leftover curry can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 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!
Yes, it freezes well for about 3 months. Thaw the leftovers overnight in the fridge before reheating them in a pot on the stovetop.
Roasted Eggplant Curry
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 or 1 cup cashew cream
- 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 F and 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 (or cashew cream), 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!