Creamy Eggplant Curry With Chickpeas

This eggplant curry combines high-protein chickpeas with tender eggplant and a creamy coconut milk-based sauce for the ultimate wholesome, comforting mid-week meal. Best of all, this curry recipe is naturally vegan, gluten-free, can be made oil-free, and is ready in under 30 minutes!

If there’s one thing you’ll easily figure out when browsing through my blog, I LOVE comfort food—a lot. In-between recipes including vegan gumbo, Hungarian goulash, vegan pot pie, and mushroom bourguignon, I also love curries like vegan butter chicken, sweet potato curry, red lentil dahl, and this eggplant curry (aka aubergine curry/ brinjal curry).

This vegan curry recipe includes some of my favorite ingredients; chickpeas, eggplant, coconut milk, and curry powder. The resulting curry is creamy, comforting, slightly spicy (but customizable!), and truly satisfying – perfect for serving with rice and/or naan for a complete meal. All in under 30 minutes!

Comforting and Nutritious Chickpea Eggplant Curry

Did you know that curry powder not only tastes fantastic -with a combination of several spices often including cilantro, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and chili- but it’s also packed with all sorts of health benefits?

For example, the spices within curry powder may help protect against cancerous cells, reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce Alzheimer’s’ symptoms, ease pain and inflammation, boost bone health, protect the immune system, and even increase the liver’s ability to remove toxins from the body! Now that’s a list of health benefits I can get behind. Especially when it comes in the package of a delicious Indian eggplant curry recipe.

Best of all, this nutritious vegan chickpea curry is made up of largely pantry staples; something I’ve focused on a lot recently and following the recent global ‘situation’. I even recently pulled together a list of pantry-friendly vegan dinner recipes.

If you can’t source eggplant? Well, you’ve got yourself a coconut chickpea curry, have veggies in the fridge in need of using? Chuck them in (check below for veggie suggestions), no coconut milk? Use another dairy-free cream. There’s no stopping this vegan curry!

In fact, I pretty much always aim to have several cans (or a bag) of chickpeas in my pantry ready to pull together quick, nutritious dinners like this and other favorites, including chickpea tacos, stuffed zucchini, and broccoli chickpea stir-fry. You can even shove these legumes into your dessert. Flourless chickpea brownies, anyone?!

Eggplant is also a common ingredient in my kitchen, used to stuff with lentils and stuffed within quesadillas and wraps, with leftovers added to veggie stir-fry noodles!

Today, though, let’s get to work turning those chickpeas and eggplant into a delicious coconut curry!

The Ingredients

• Chickpeas: I used a 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed. Feel free to cook the chickpeas from dry if preferred.
• Eggplant: I prefer to use two small eggplants rather than one large one. Smaller ones tend to contain fewer seeds (i.e. less bitterness!) and hold together better while cooking.
• Aromatics: I use a simple classic combination of onion and garlic.
• Coconut milk: I use canned coconut milk or coconut cream. Use lite coconut milk for a healthier option – though it won’t be as creamy. If you can’t source coconut milk, then feel free to use another dairy-free cream. I like oat cream or soy cream, etc.
• Curry Powder: Alternatively, you could use curry paste. You can buy different heat levels of curry powder/paste (mild, medium, hot), so choose based on your personal preference. If you have no curry powder, then garam masala would also work.
• Seasonings: I love to add extra cumin to this vegan chickpea curry. I also add a little additional turmeric (packed with health benefits), smoked paprika (for smokiness), and cayenne pepper (for spice). I also use salt and pepper, as usual.

Check the recipe notes below for more ingredient notes!

To Serve:

• Cooked Rice: I often use jasmine rice but use the rice or grain of your choice.
• Dairy-free Yogurt: I love to serve any vegan curry recipe with a dollop of dairy-free yogurt. It balances with any spice very well.
• Naan: Optional, but I love mopping up all the sauce with warm aromatic homemade naan bread.
• Garnish: I like to use either a little fresh cilantro or finely shredded raw spinach.

For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.

How To Make Eggplant Curry

There are just three simple steps when cooking this flavorful curry recipe.

• Start by cubing the eggplant and finely chopping the onion into small pieces.
• Heat a little oil (or water for an oil-free option) in a pan over medium heat. Add the two ingredients and cook for around 10 minutes until the eggplant becomes tender.

• Add the garlic and drained chickpeas.

• Then add the coconut milk, spices, and salt, and pepper and stir well. Simmer the curry for around 5 minutes.

When ready, serve the vegan chickpea curry with your choice of cooked rice and/or naan bread. Garnish the dish with fresh cilantro or finely chopped spinach and enjoy!

How To Store and Reheat?

Store: Any leftovers will keep for 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The eggplant coconut curry should also freeze well, though it isn’t something I’ve tried. I recommend allowing it to cool completely first. Then freeze in portions for between 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Reheat: Reheat the curry either on the stovetop over medium-low until warmed through or in the microwave. If the sauce has thickened up too much, add a little of your favorite plant-based milk to thin it again. Stir carefully when reheating, so you don’t mash all the eggplant.

Recipe Notes & Variations

• Other Vegetables: This eggplant curry recipe is fairly versatile. Feel free to bulk up (or replace ingredients) the vegan curry further with additional ingredients; potato, cauliflowers, squash, zucchini – as long as they’ll cook within the time, anything goes.
• To thicken the curry: I find that the sauce thickens up wonderfully. However, if you happen to add too much liquid, use a little cornstarch, arrowroot flour, or potato starch. Create a slurry with it first before adding it to the sauce.
• For slightly different flavor: You can add 2-3 large diced tomatoes or some tinned tomatoes.
• The eggplant: You could also use roasted eggplant within this curry! Perfect for using up leftovers.

Other Vegan Comforting Recipes

If you love wholesome, comforting recipes like this chickpea curry recipe then you might also like:

• Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
• Vegan Meatballs
• German Potato Soup
• Vegan Mushroom Risotto
• Lentil Bolognese
• Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
• Creamed Peas And Carrots

If you try this chickpea eggplant curry recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan #elavegan – I love seeing them.