If you haven’t noticed I am obsessed with one pot meals! Easy clean up, less dishes, and little prep to cook up something yummy fast! My one pot vegetarian eggplant and curry recipe features peppers, coconut milk, and fresh herbs. Let’s dig in!
The Vegetables
One way to load up on vegetables is any recipe that starts with onions and olive oil. A basic start to a recipe leaving room for other vegetables. Sweet potatoes, peppers, eggplant, russet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, you name it! I typically saute all my vegetables together rather caramelizing the onions before I add the remaining veggies. This speeds up the cooking process! I soften the vegetables before they tenderize in liquid. Garlic and spices are next. Garlic takes less than a minute to release their juices and within that time frame I add my spices.Tip: cube your vegetables around the same size and thickness. I highly recommend the size of your thumb nail if doable or a bit bigger. The small the cut the faster the cook time. If you have an extra 10 minutes you can cube the vegetables about 1-inch thick.
A blend of authentic spices with unlimited vegetable choices and herbs to taste. I serve my one pot vegetarian eggplant curry recipe over jasmine or basmati rice.
How To Make Curry Sauce
Curry sauce has a base of coconut milk, tomatoes, spices, and fresh herbs. The beauty of curry sauce it there is a wide variety of flavors you can add or take away. The coconut milk comes in lite or full fat. I tend to go for the full fat, however, the lite version is just as tasty. Full fat coconut milk is more full bodies like a bold red wine. Depth, thickness, and the consistency is a bit different. If you reach for the lite version I typically add a tad bit more tomato paste to thicken up the sauce. Use your wooden spoon to stir and thicken your mixture. Once you adjust your ingredients you will need to taste the sauce and most likely add a dash more seasoning. Spices and herbs rescue this curry sauce when the tomato flavor quickly takes over the dish.
Prepping Your Ingredients
I like to place all my ingredients out for the counter top the in order they pour into the pot. You can’t mess this dish up unless you started the garlic without the oil and added in the cilantro at the same time. I laughing typing this out. A recipe is a guideline with wiggle room for creativity. There are steps you must take first. The oil and vegetables are the first step. Add garlic, coconut milk, tomatoes, and spices. Then, go from here. If you add the chickpeas last they won’t be as tender and that is okay. If you forget the ginger until the end that is okay, too! My point, prep your items so you aren’t squirming around when this dish moves quickly!
More Vegetarian or Vegan One-Pot Meals
If you like my one pot vegetarian eggplant curry recipe, try:
- Moroccan Lettuce Wraps with Rice and Vegetables
- Quick 10-Minute Mediterranean Shakshuka with Feta Cheese
- Vegan Curry with Cauliflower in Coconut Milk
One Pot Vegetarian Eggplant Curry Recipe
Equipment
- Large saute pan
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 baby eggplant or one large, diced
- 2 bell peppers , sliced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger or ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15-ounce can full mat coconut milk
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained
- Red pepper flakes optional
- Cilantro chopped
- Basil chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cashews optional
Instructions
- In a large pot/skillet over medium high heat, add oil. Sauté onions, pepper, and eggplant until browned, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another 45 seconds.
- Reduce heat to medium, add curry powder, turmeric, smoked paprika, and ginger. Let that heat for about 15 seconds then add coconut milk, tomatoes, salt and pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer then reduce to medium low heat.
- Add chickpeas, cilantro, basil, and cashews, if using. Cover and cook another 3-5 minutes.
- Serve with basmati or jasmine rice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.