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+ servings
Easy Eggplant Curry
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5 from 3 votes

Easy Eggplant Curry

Tender Indian eggplants air fried and then added to a tomato based curry spiced with thai chillies and garnished with cilantro.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani
Diet: Halal, Hindu, Kosher, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: aubergine, baingan, brinjal, eggplant
Servings: 4
Calories: 204kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Indian eggplant
  • ¼ cup cooking oil (SEE NOTES)
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • 2 tsp Garlic paste
  • 6 Thai chilies
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Red chili powder
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp Amchur powder
  • 2 tbsp Tamarind (OPTIONAL)

Instructions

  • Preheat your air fryer at 350° for 5 minutes
  • Make two diagonal slits like an X (pictured above) in each eggplant (SEE NOTES)
  • Rub a generous amount of olive oil on the eggplants, getting it inside all the crevices
  • Air fry for 20 minutes, turning them around every 5-10 minutes(SEE NOTES)
  • While the eggplant is cooking, heat the cooking oil and saute the garlic in it for about 30 seconds
  • Add the Thai chillies and saute them for 10-15 seconds
  • Slice the tomatoes and saute them just till they start wilting
  • Add the salt, red chilies and turmeric and stir
  • Add the air fried egg plants, cover and cook on the lowest setting of your stove for 5 minutes
  • Uncover and turn the flame on high to dry any residual liquid (SEE NOTES)
  • Turn your stove off, sprinkle the amchur powder (and stir in the tamarind if adding) and cilantro, gently stir and serve

Notes

  • COOKING OIL
    I alternate between avocado oil and olive oil for most of my cooking. Avocado oil has a higher smoke point so is better to use when cooking a curry as the prolonged cooking time makes it a better option. But feel free to use anything you prefer.
  • CUTTING THE EGGPLANT
    Indian eggplants are tiny so I like to make these diagonal cuts and preserve the whole eggplant as it makes for beautiful presentation. If you're using a large eggplant then I would cut large semicircular slices, about ½ inch in thickness, with the skin on.
  • AIR FRYING YOUR EGGPLANT
    Air Fryers vary from one to another, I own a Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven. If yours is different you may need to adjust cooking times or temperature a little bit. If you don't have an air fryer I would bake my eggplant in the oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
  • DON'T STIR
    Avoid stirring too much after the air fried eggplants are added to the curry. This will cause them to dissolve and get mushy, ruining the consistency of the curry.
  • AMCHUR POWDER
    Always add the Amchur powder at the end. This is a dried mango powder and great for flavor but if it's cooked it loses its pungency.
  • TAMARIND                                                                                                                          Although I don't always find it necessary in this recipe, about 2 tablespoons of tamarind at the end are an add in option that you may like. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 602mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1334IU | Vitamin C: 109mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg