Eggplant seems to be one of those vegetable-fruits that you either love or hate. In the haters camp are those who criticize the texture ("slimy!") or flavor ("bitter!"), while the lovers expound on its delicate consistency and sweet taste.
Indeed, eggplant can be a finicky ingredient. Larger globe varieties can taste sharp if not first tossed with salt and allowed to sweat, then rinsed and patted dry. On its own, it can taste bland and watery, but it also likes to soak up flavors, such as the salt used to sweat it. (I'll never forget an inedibly salty eggplant dish I was once served in what was usually an excellent restaurant.) Undercooked, eggplant retains a pithy texture reminiscent of a cotton ball; overcooked, it breaks down into beige mush. Even the prettiest magenta-hued nightshades turn a dingy brown when cooked. Additionally, eggplant's sponge-like surface loves to sop up oil, often emerging from kitchens slicked with grease.
But eggplant has so much potential. When prepared with love, it positively melts with sweetness, its texture almost custard-like, often reminding me of dessert. It just needs a bit of coddling to reach its potential. As with okra and zucchini, attention must be paid during preparation lest the eggplant-phobes of the world have reason to maintain their hating ways.
This time of year, Jay (a reformed hater converted in his teens by eggplant parmesan) and I rejoice in ordering eggplant wherever we can get it: on a pizza at Piccino, in yaki nasu from Umi Sushi, in a bowl of baingan bartha at Pakwan, or in a tangy-sweet caponata from Pizzeria Delfina. At home, we toss it with pasta, we roast and puree it into baba ganouj, and we use it to top pizzas of our own.
This curry is my current favorite use for the Asian varieties of eggplant. Adapted from Nigel Slater's Tender, it has all the spice of a traditional baingan bartha, but with the feel of a hearty stew. A few tricks oust common eggplant issues. First, slender eggplants are cut into large chunks and roasted to sear their outsides and develop flavor, helping them hold their shape in the finished dish. Rosy tomatoes and bright yellow turmeric give the dish a rich golden hue. A pungent blend of spices (coriander, black pepper, chiles, garlic, ginger, and cardamom) add tons of flavor. The eggplant helps to thicken the sauce, made creamy from coconut milk and ghee, and slivers of ginger and garlic add further textural interest.
I made a few tweaks to the recipe, roasting the eggplant with olive oil and salt rather than dry-frying it in pans (and trying not to eat it all before it could make it into the curry), leaving the skins and seeds on the tomatoes because I don't mind either in the finished dish, and cutting the liquid in half to keep the cooking time down and the curry thick. Curious to try black smoked cardamom in a savory dish (rather than simply making batch after batch of this ice cream), I added a few cracked pods, and they give the curry added depth.
The original recipe calls for a shower of fresh cilantro and mint. The mint surprised me, but it adds an expected top note (think mint chutney). I've made this twice in the past week, and we've been enjoying it over rice with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. I even ate it for breakfast on morning. In fact, this curry gets better after a day or two, when the flavors have a chance to meld.
As an eggplant lover, I'm looking forward to the rest of eggplant season.
Haters gonna hate. I say let them eat curry.
More Eggplant Recipes:
- Roasted Eggplant, Chickpea+ Summer Vegetable Tagine
- Roasted Tiny Eggplant with Muhammara and Feta
- Baked Penne with Eggplant and Fontina
- Roasted Eggplant Panzanella with Capers, Olives, and Pine Nuts
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this curried roasted eggplant recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Curried Roasted Eggplant with Smoked Cardamom and Coconut Milk
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
For the curry:
- 2 pounds eggplant (about 10 medium Chinese or Japanese eggplant)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt, as needed
- 3 tablespoons ghee (or coconut oil if vegan)
- 2 cups diced yellow onion (from 2 medium or 3 smaller onions)
- 5 black cardamom pods, cracked
- 1 dried chile de arbol (or other medium-spicy chile), crumbled (more or less to your taste)
- 8 green cardamom pods, cracked
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
- 1 " chunk of ginger, peeled and cut into long, thin strips
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes (10 medium dry-farmed Early Girls), stemmed and diced
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (13.5 ounce / 400 mL)
- 1/2 cup water
- a few handfuls cilantro leaves, chopped
- a handful mint leaves, slivered
- 1 pint whole milk (Greek)yogurt, for serving
For the rice:
- 2 cups long-grain basmati rice
- 3 1/2 cups water, plus more for rinsing the rice
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Roast the eggplant:
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400ºIf using a long, slender variety of eggplant, cut them on the diagonal into 1-inch thick slices. If using a globe style eggplant, cut them into 2-inch square chunks. Pile the eggplant slices on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat with your hands. Spread the eggplant pieces on two baking sheets, and roast until golden on the bottoms, about 15 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to flip the slices over, and roast until tender and golden, 5-10 more minutes. Remove and turn off the oven.
Make the curry:
- Heat the ghee in a large soup pot or dutch oven over a medium flame until it shimmers. Add the onion, black cardamom pods, and crumbled chile de arbol. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and tender, 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, break open the green cardamom pods and shake out the black seeds. Combine these with the coriander and peppercorns in a clean coffee grinder or spice grinder and grind finely.
- When the onions are soft, stir in the ground spice mixture, turmeric, garlic, and ginger. Cook for a few minutes to toast the spices, then stir in the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, water, and the roasted eggplant. Increase the heat to bring the curry to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When finished, the eggplant should still hold its shape, but the sauce around it should be slightly thickened stew-like. Taste the curry, adding salt if you feel it needs it. It will thicken further if allowed to sit and cool.
While the curry simmers, make the rice:
- Place the rice in a medium bowl and cover with cool water. Swish around for a few seconds, then drain off the milky water. Repeat this twice more; the water should be fairly clear. Drain the rice well and place it in a large, lidded saucepan with the 3 1/2 cups water and the salt. Bring to a boil over a medium-high flame, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let steam until the rice is tender and all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. If the rice is still crunchy, add another 1/4 cup water and continue cooking. Let the rice stand for ten minutes, then use a fork to fluff the rice.
Serve the things:
- Spoon the curry onto a platter and shower with the chopped cilantro and slivered mint, and serve with rice and yogurt.
- The curry keeps well, refrigerated, for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Curried Roasted Eggplant with Smoked Cardamom and Coconut Milk
Adapted liberally from Nigel Slater's Tender
This recipe works well with fresh small eggplant, such as the Japanese or Chinese varieties; in fact, you might consider roasting a few extra since the baked slices are delicious on their own and may disappear with alarming speed before making it into the final dish. If using larger globe eggplant, cut them into fat chunks, sprinkle them liberally with salt, and let them sit in a colander for 30 minutes to sweat out any bitterness. Rinse them well, drain, and pat dry. Proceed with the recipe, omitting the salt and adding it to the final dish to taste.
Black cardamom is a different variety than their green brethren, and the pods are dried over smoke giving them a campfire-like flavor. They add a nice richness to the curry, but they can be omitted if you don't have any on hand. Do warn guests that the stew contains whole black cardamom pods. The pods contain a lot of smoky flavor that comes out when they are stewed with the other ingredients, but biting into one whole is a wholly unpleasant experience.
If you cut the tomatoes in a fairly fine dice, the skin and seeds won't be a problem. Alternatively, peel and seed them as per the original recipe.
Makes 6 main-course servings
For the curry:
2 pounds eggplant (about 10 medium Chinese or Japanese eggplant)
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt, as needed
3 tablespoons ghee (or coconut oil if vegan)
2 cups diced yellow onion (from 2 medium or 3 smaller onions)
5 black cardamom pods, cracked
1 dried chile de arbol (or other medium-spicy chile), crumbled (more or less to your taste)
8 green cardamom pods, cracked
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
1" chunk of ginger, peeled and cut into long, thin strips
1 pound ripe tomatoes (10 medium dry-farmed Early Girls), stemmed and diced
1 (13.5 ounce / 400 mL) can full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup water
a few handfuls cilantro leaves, chopped
a handful mint leaves, slivered
1 pint whole milk (Greek) yogurt, for serving
For the rice:
2 cups long-grain basmati rice
3 1/2 cups water, plus more for rinsing the rice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Roast the eggplant:
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400ºF. If using a long, slender variety of eggplant, cut them on the diagonal into 1-inch thick slices. If using a globe style eggplant, cut them into 2-inch square chunks. Pile the eggplant slices on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat with your hands. Spread the eggplant pieces on two baking sheets, and roast until golden on the bottoms, about 15 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to flip the slices over, and roast until tender and golden, 5-10 more minutes. Remove and turn off the oven.
Make the curry:
Heat the ghee in a large soup pot or dutch oven over a medium flame until it shimmers. Add the onion, black cardamom pods, and crumbled chile de arbol. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and tender, 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, break open the green cardamom pods and shake out the black seeds. Combine these with the coriander and peppercorns in a clean coffee grinder or spice grinder and grind finely.
When the onions are soft, stir in the ground spice mixture, turmeric, garlic, and ginger. Cook for a few minutes to toast the spices, then stir in the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, water, and the roasted eggplant. Increase the heat to bring the curry to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When finished, the eggplant should still hold its shape, but the sauce around it should be slightly thickened stew-like. Taste the curry, adding salt if you feel it needs it. It will thicken further if allowed to sit and cool.
While the curry simmers, make the rice:
Place the rice in a medium bowl and cover with cool water. Swish around for a few seconds, then drain off the milky water. Repeat this twice more; the water should be fairly clear. Drain the rice well and place it in a large, lidded saucepan with the 3 1/2 cups water and the salt. Bring to a boil over a medium-high flame, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let steam until the rice is tender and all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. If the rice is still crunchy, add another 1/4 cup water and continue cooking. Let the rice stand for ten minutes, then use a fork to fluff the rice.
Serve the things:
Spoon the curry onto a platter and shower with the chopped cilantro and slivered mint, and serve with rice and yogurt.
The curry keeps well, refrigerated, for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving.
Anna says
loove this!! looks absolutely delicious and the photography is aam¡mazing as well :D
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
Needles, Beads and Threads says
Loved the recipe, will be harvesting the long purple ones this summer, however, the white egg like, and yellow 2-3" are very bitter. Will try you lovely looking dish
Anonymous says
I just made this for dinner and it is SUPER YUM! Thanks for the great recipe!
Julie says
This recipe is delightful! I have had this pinned for a while (along with your ice cream) but couldn't find the black cardamom until I happened upon it at our local Penzeys. I love the smokey hint it lends to the curry. Thanks for a great recipe!
Vinita says
This recipe was really good and now that I have found your site and see various vegetarian recipes, I will be a regular visitor. Thank you and keep up the good work. My belly thanks you.
Alanna says
Aw, thank you for the kind words!
S says
You do know that you could just buy a rice cooker and not worry about all the steps you just provided right? I mean, it's literally 100% foolproof as long as you know the amount of water to put into the cooker. The cooker automatically cooks it to perfection and switches off automatically. There's really no need to go through all that trouble, I dont think anyone is Asia does that. People in Asia would be laughing if you told them to cook rice this way.
I mean even if you are armed with just a pot, there is simply no need to drain the rice and refill it with water. 1. It is a waste of water. 2. You are making this more complicated that it should be. I know a lady that cooked rice perfectly by just filling a pot with rice and water to a level she knows is optimum and left it there to boil for a certain period of time. That's all she needed to do. Rice is a staple food, there's no need to fancy it up.At least not that I have heard of from any chefs, cooks or housewives while I was living there for almost two decades.
Just an honest feedback :)
Sarah says
I'm confused by your critique of the rice cooking method - what she recommends doing here is rinsing the rice - a very necessary step that everyone in Asia does so they won't get starchy rice. I think people in Asia would actually laugh if you didn't rinse your rice. Then she brings the water and rice to boil, covers and reduces to simmer until cooked. That's the most basic way to cook rice without a rice cooker (which not everyone has space in their tiny San Francisco kitchen for or has the luxury of owning). I think the reason she wrote to drain the rice a couple of times using the pot is actually to save water versus just running it under cold water in a mesh strainer until the water runs clear, which is what most cooks will do. Even if you use a rice cooker, you must drain the rice until the water runs clear before cooking it. Step 1.
Also - I'm sure you think you're being helpful, but you do realize this is just an individual person producing free recipes and photos for you to use, right? She works really hard and didn't get paid to make this recipe for people to use so I'm not sure why the super harsh critique...?
Test test says
I recently tried to post a comment questioning how the rice is cooked but before I assume my comment got blocked because I was being a bit tad straightforward with my thoughts, I'll give it one more attempt.
I laughed. That was my first reaction after reading the instructions you gave on cooking rice. Get a rice cooker, wash the rice, pour the rice into the cooker, fill it to the instructed water level, switched it on. That's all you need in the art of cooking good rice. There is simply no need to overcomplicate such a simple art of cooking.
Even if you dont have a rice cooker, you can always replicate it with a cooking pot, a method used by hundreds and thousands of households in Asia for decades if not centuries. It's really easy once you get the water amount right.
On the flip side, the curry was better than expected so good job. I think it was a good replica of an otherwise complicated dish. A lot of ingredients are probably omitted given its scarcity in the north american market.
winnie says
hello! if i only have ground cardamom on hand (brown in color), is that an appropriate substitute, and if so, how much should i use? also, is it possible to used canned crushed tomatoes?
looking forward to making this...looks delicious!!!
Alanna says
Sorry for the slow reply. That should be fine! I would use maybe 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom since it's pretty strong. Canned tomatoes should work great!
Dawn says
We are drowning in Japanese eggplant from our garden and needed something else to prepare besides the endless baba ganoush and eggplant parmesan we've been eating. I stumbled upon your delicious recipe. It was SO good! I didn't had the whole spices on hand but made a mixture from the same pre-ground spices I had in stock. The eggplant was savory and creamy and the curry really settled into a satisfying stew-like texture, just as promised in your description. We will definitely be making this again, as the eggplant won't stop coming!!! Thank you!
JayFromFL says
Like most of the folks, I was thinking of making curried baingan and aloo (eggplant and potatoes). Being from the West Indies, this was a common dish prepared in most Indian homes. My mother gave me a few medium eggplants a few days ago and I thought of making it the traditional way using the dreaded Madras curry powder. Thank goodness I found your recipe on the web. As a single dad with a finicky teen son, I am constantly trying out new recipes, most of them I create on the fly with whatever ingredients I have available. I like to consider myself a candidate for amateur Top Chef. Luckily for me, I already have all of the ingredients in your recipe so need to run to the grocery. I am looking forward to making your dish, give or take a few modifications, such using a "lite" version of the coconut milk. I love experimenting with food and think I think your recipe is a good base and I will eventually will be substituting other ingredients. My next attempt, I'm thinking of using Thai red curry.
Lastly, to paraphrase the cute song from your video, "Kisses from my kitchen and I think I love you." : )
carola says
Made this a couple of days ago with baby eggplants and subbed the spices with 2 tbsp curry masala and a pinch of pepper flakes since I was out of cardamom, and turned out INCREDIBLE. Very little leftover which I just gobbled for lunch to my husband's envy!
Will be making this again and again. Thanks for sharing!
Alanna says
I'm so glad you liked it!!
Gabrielle says
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! I halved the recipe and had to make some substitutions, but I still got the gist of the dish and it's a keeper! Thanks so much. :)
Carla @ Foodie Digital says
I am SO happy that I came across this amazing recipe Alanna. The curry is rich and intensely flavored in the right way, and the cardamom shines through without being overpowering.
For anyone wondering it the extra step of grinding your own spices is worth it - in this case the answer is 100% yes! Looking forward to leftovers tonight.
Alanna says
Aw thanks for trying this recipe Carla - that makes me so happy!! Leftovers should be even tastier than the first time around. Bojon appetit!