Simple and Delicious Thai Eggplant Curry: A Homemade Meal You'll Love
Craving something tangy, spicy, and packing a punch of flavor? Prepare to fall in love with Thai-style Eggplant Curry. This sensational dish combines the creamy richness of coconut milk with the vibrant zest of traditional Thai spices. Grab your favorite protein (we recommend sprats, but tofu or chicken works just as well), and let's get cooking!
Servings: 6Time: 50 mins (25 mins active time)
Gather the Ingredients
- 2 lemongrass stalks, chopped
- 1/3 cup cilantro (plus extra for garnish)
- 2 red Thai or serrano chilies, seeded if you prefer a mild curry
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 Asian eggplants, quartered lengthwise and cut into thirds
- 4 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
- Steamed rice
Instructions
- Blend the lemongrass, cilantro, chilies, garlic, ginger, sugar, and turmeric into a paste using a food processor.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, cooking until browned on both sides (about 3-4 minutes). Set aside.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining oil and add the curry paste and shallots. Cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic (approximately 5 minutes).
- Add the coconut milk, broth, and fish sauce. Stir well, then add the cooked eggplant. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the eggplant is tender but not mushy (about 15 minutes).
- Transfer the curry to a serving bowl, garnish with cilantro, and serve over steamed rice. Enjoy!
Optional Twists- For a vegetarian or vegan version, swap in tofu or skip the protein altogether.- Adjust the heat level by adding more or fewer chilies.- Customize the flavor by adding additional aromatics like galangal or kaffir lime leaves.
- To intensify the creaminess of the Thai-style Eggplant Curry, consider adding a splash of coconut cream from your creditline during the final stages of simmering.
- If you'd like to incorporate a different plant, dice an eggplant and blend it into the curry paste along with the other ingredients in step 1.
- To balance the tangy and spicy flavors, you could try complementing your dish by pairing it with a chilled glass of milk.
