Aubergine Curry. Another way to use up the abundant eggplant crop we have experienced this year. The eggplants have been so prolific this past Summer (and there are at least 14 still on the plants developing..) that I honestly have had enough of them! This year we have a glut….kilos and kilos and kilos of eggplant. I am a little surprised by how much fruit we have had on the plants this year in comparison to previous years. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for such an amazing crop, but I have had enough.

Here are some of the ways we have been enjoying our eggplants this Summer/Autumn:

• Added to a salad (alot!)
• Preserved in oil,
• In chutney with other abundant Summer vegetables
• In some family food favorites
• In some finger food delights
• In some fab main meals
• In some Italian inspired meals
• We have shared many with my children’s school teachers and neighbors
• Swapped them for fruit

This curry was a lovely new way to enjoy their meaty texture in a vegetarian meal. We like to have at least one meal a week that is not meat-based. This helps to keep the grocery budget in check and also to appreciate meat when we do have it as part of the family meal.

The curry base that I made in this recipe is adapted from a recipe that I learnt at cooking school in Thailand a little while ago (too long ago!)

I love a curry when the weather is warm, it reminds me of our long Asian vacation. Hot spicy food and very hot weather somehow really do go beautifully together. While the warm weather is fading fast here, a curry such as this one can also be a welcome addition to the dinner table, especially while eggplant are still in season through Autumn if you are not growing them yourself.

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Eggplant Curry

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

A Thai style Eggplant Curry. A vegetarian meal that is a welcome addition to the dinner table in Autumn while eggplant (aubergine) are in season.

Course: Main

Cuisine: vegetarian

Servings: 8

Author: Kyrstie Barcak - A Fresh Legacy

Ingredients

Chilli Paste

• 4 dried chilli - soaked in warm water until soft and then chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 lemongrass stalks
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 cm fresh ginger grated
• 3 kaffir lime leaves chopped
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh coriander roots chopped

Other Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 red chilli finely chopped
• 1300 grams fresh eggplant -chopped into cubes about 3 cm
• 400 ml organic coconut cream or milk

To Serve

• Rice to serve and fresh coriander leaves

Instructions

1. To make the curry paste:
2. Combine all of the Chilli Paste ingredients in a mortar and pestle (or food processor) and pound until the ingredients form a paste
3. To make the meal:
4. Set the rice to cook
5. Add the coconut oil to a large warm pan on the stove top and then add the curry paste
6. Stir until fragrant for a minute
7. Add the cubed eggplant and 1/2 cup of the coconut cream and stir to coat well
8. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the eggplant has softened and is cooked.
9. Serve with rice and topped with fresh coriander leaves.

This curry is spicy – maybe a 6 or 7/10 but it is lightened by the coconut, fresh coriander and kaffir lime. If you prefer less spicy meals add 1/2 the recommended chilli.

Eggplant Curry is not a family friendly recipe, unless your kids love spicy food. It is a dish to be enjoyed by the adults or served as a great meat free dish when entertaining. Since having children I have found that I enjoy eating spicy food much more than previously, probably because we do not get to eat it so often.

I hope that you enjoy my Eggplant Curry recipe. I will look forward to eating it again next year when Summer rolls around again 🙂