Pan Fried Eggplant Curry (A Fusion Sri Lankan Recipe)

This Pan-Fried Eggplant Curry is a flavorful, thick curry in which chopped eggplant is pan-fried and then added to a deliciously spiced curry sauce. Vegan and gluten-free, this fusion Sri Lankan curry is a tasty side dish.

This pan-fried eggplant curry is an ode (of sorts) to my mom’s Sri Lankan eggplant curry, also referred to as brinjal curry.

My mom makes her curry by first chopping up the eggplant into strips. Then, she deep fries the chopped pieces of eggplant until they are golden brown. She sets the fried eggplant aside and begins to prepare a rich and tasty tomato curry with tamarind paste and spices. When the curry (or gravy or sauce) is ready, she adds the fried eggplant to the sauce and lets it simmer for a bit to thicken up.

To this day, I have not had an eggplant curry that could rival my mom’s. The eggplant curry here is similar to hers, but it is a healthier spin on her curry.

What makes me love this pan-fried eggplant curry

• This pan-fried eggplant curry is absolutely delicious.
• It is made with easy-to-find ingredients.
• It is dairy-free and gluten-free.
• And, it pairs well with rice, roti, quinoa, and more.

Ingredients

The 11 main ingredients needed are:

1. A medium-sized eggplant
2. Extra virgin olive oil
3. Onion
4. Garlic Cloves
5. Fresh ginger
6. Ground coriander
7. Smoked paprika
8. Ground turmeric
9. Ground cumin
10. Chili powder
11. Coconut milk

You will also need some Salt and black pepper to season this curry with.

And, optional ingredients include some chili flakes and fresh cilantro or curry leaves, which will serve as garnish.

Substitutions

• Eggplant
  I used an American Globe Eggplant that yielded about 3-3.25 cups when cut up. An Italian eggplant, which is very similar to the American eggplant but smaller in size, could be used instead. By the way, 3 cups of eggplant cooks down to about a cup of eggplant.

• Extra virgin olive oil
  This was for pan sauteing the eggplant. Instead of EVOO, coconut oil or vegetable oil could be used.

• Onion
  I used a fresh onion. If you are not a fan of peeling and chopping an onion, most grocery stores have peeled and chopped onions in their produce section.

• Garlic Cloves
  Fresh garlic adds flavor to this, and I would strongly suggest it not be substituted.

• Fresh ginger
  As with the garlic, fresh ginger works best in this recipe. If you cannot find fresh ginger, then most stores sell peeled and diced ginger, which could be used instead.

• Spices
  A combination of ground coriander, smoked paprika, ground turmeric, ground cumin, and chili powder worked best for me. However, the coriander, cumin, and turmeric can be replaced with curry powder.

Instructions

Step 1: I chopped up a medium-sized eggplant into fry-like strips. I also peeled and diced the onion, ginger, and garlic.

Step 2: Then I added a little bit of the oil to a large skillet and placed it over a stove set to medium heat. I didn’t want too much oil as I was trying to get the eggplant “fries” to develop a crispy-ish skin on the outside before I added them to a curry.

Step 3: I added the strips of eggplant to the pan and sautéed/pan-fried the eggplant

Step 4: I set the stove to medium heat and stirred the eggplant a bit. Eggplant tends to get mushy when cooked, so I was trying to get the eggplant “fries” to develop a crispy-ish skin on the outside before I added them to a curry.

Step 5: After the eggplant was sautéed / pan-fried, I set the pieces to drain off any excess oil on a paper towel and began the sauce.

Step 6: Then, I added a little more oil to the pan and added the chopped onion to it, and sauteed it until it was lightly browned. Then, I added the garlic and ginger to the onion and let it cook for a couple of minutes.

Step 7: I added in all the spices such as coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, and chili powder, and stirred this mixture a bit. As the spices roast, they will have your kitchen smelling amazing!

Step 8: I then added in a bit of coconut milk and stirred well.

Step 9: Then I added the eggplant into the curry sauce and let everything simmer for a bit over the stove set to medium-high heat. When the sauce had thickened a bit, I took this curry off the stove.

Love eggplant? Then you might like these recipes…

Easy Oven Roasted Eggplant
Vegan Eggplant Rollatini Recipe
Spicy Roasted Eggplant Dip
Easy Eggplant Poblano Pepper Curry

Pan Fried Eggplant Curry

4.62 from 18 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Shashi

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This Pan-Fried Eggplant Curry is a flavorful, thick curry in which chopped eggplant is pan-fried and then added to a deliciously spiced curry sauce. Vegan and gluten-free, this fusion Sri Lankan curry is a tasty side dish.

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant (approximately 3 cups sliced)
• 4 tbsp. extra irgin olive oi
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
• 4 tsp coriander
• 3 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• OPTIONAL – chili flakes and cilantro chopped

Instructions

• Rinse and dry the eggplant and cut into fry-size piece.
• Peel and chop the onion.
• Also peel and chop the garlic and ginger.
• Add 3 tbsp. olive oil to a pan and let warm up.
• Carefully add in the cut eggplant and stir around so all or most of the pieces have been coated with olive oil.
• Stir the eggplant around ever so often so the pieces can get a bit of a char. Pan fry eggplant for 20 minutes or until all have a bit of a charred slightly crisp exterior.
• Then, set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
• Add the other 1 tbsp. of olive oil to the pan and add in the cut onion and saute for about 5 minutes until onions start sweating.
• Then add in the garlic and ginger and saute another 5 more minutes.
• Add in the coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, and stir well.
• Then add in the pan fried eggplant and stir.
• Finally add in the coconut milk and stir until all the ingredients are mixed well. Cook a minute or two and remove from heat.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish with chili flakes and cilantro.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 473mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 926IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 3mg

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