Hearty and Healthy: Eggplant and Potato Curry

Ingredients:

- 1 small to medium (~450 g) globe variety eggplant, unpeeled
- ¼ cup neutral oil, plus more for pan-frying the eggplant
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium (~245 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
- 6-7 (~1 tbsp) garlic cloves, crushed
- 1- inch (~1 tbsp) piece ginger, crushed
- 2 medium (~300 g) tomatoes (or 3 small), finely chopped
- 1 small green chili pepper such as Thai or Serrano, sliced
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili powder, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt, or 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 medium (400-450 g) russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into ¾-1” cubes (place in a bowl of water to prevent browning)

Garnish

- 2 tbsp cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp garam masala or chaat masala, optional
- 1 tsp lemon juice

Preparation:

- Slice off the stem of the eggplant. Then continue to slice the eggplant widthwise into 3/4 inch-thick rounds. Dice the rounds into 1-inch cubes.

- Place a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the eggplant in a single layer (you may need to do this in 2 batches) and pan-fry for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Then flip the pieces and pan-fry for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add oil as needed and distribute as needed because the eggplant has a tendency to absorb oil. Remove onto a plate and set aside. (See Note 1)
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for a few seconds.
- Add the onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until lightly golden (~8-10 min). Deglaze with 2 tbsp of water.
- Once the water dries up, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute, until the raw smell disappears and the onions deepen in color.
- Add the tomatoes, green chili pepper, all spice powders (except garam masala), and salt.
- Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the oil begins to separate from them (~4-5 minutes).
- If needed, add 2 tbsp of water to deglaze the pan and help the tomatoes disintegrate into the masala.
- Once the oil has separated from the curry base/masala, add the potatoes. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes to soften. Add 1/2 cup water and stir to mix.

- Turn the heat down to low-medium, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the pan-fried eggplant (See Note 2) and cook for another 15-17 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it's sticking to the bottom of the pan, deglaze with 1/4 cup of water. The eggplant should get mushy and the potato should be very tender.
- If needed, raise the heat and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the oil starts to separate again and most of the eggplant has disintegrated into the masala.
- Adjust salt and seasoning if needed. Turn off the heat and sprinkle in cilantro, garam masala or chaat masala (if using), and lemon juice.
- Serve hot with roti, naan, or any type of bread.

NOTES

Note 1:
- Pan-searing gives the eggplant more flavor. If you’re in a rush, you can skip this step.
- If you skip pan-searing the eggplant:
place the eggplants in a large bowl and fill with water to prevent browning.
-Add the potatoes & eggplant at the same time (Step 5). This will make disintegrated eggplant and in-tact potatoes.

Note 2:
- This recipe makes mushy eggplant with some pieces in tact. Depending on how mushy or in-tact you prefer the eggplant, you can change up the timings for when to add it/how long to cook it.
- See post for how long to cook the eggplant if you prefer more in-tact eggplant.

---

Home |  Advanced Search
Comment mail to:

---

Nutrition Values:

calories: 237kcal, carbohydrates: 26g, protein: 4g, fat: 14g, saturated fat: 2g, polyunsaturated fat: 2g, monounsaturated fat: 10g, sodium: 1176mg, potassium: 622mg, fiber: 3g, sugar: 3g, vitamin a: 325IU, vitamin c: 15mg, calcium: 47mg, iron: 2mg