Easy Vegan Chickpea and Aubergine Curry Recipe {Not Roasted}

Name: Easy Vegan Chickpea and Aubergine Curry Recipe {Not Roasted}
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Coconut oil; 2 medium Aubergines (Diced); 1 Red onion (Halved & sliced); 2 cloves Garlic (Minced (optional)); 1 inch Fresh ginger (Grated); 1/2 tsp Sea salt; 1/4 tsp Black pepper; 2 tbsp Curry powder; 1 tbsp Tikka paste; 1 can Chickpeas ((240g drained weight)); 1 can chopped tomatoes ((400g)); 1/2 can Coconut milk ((200g)); 1 Lime (juice); 1 tbsp Jalapeno slices (I use jarred)

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A deliciously easy vegan chickpea and aubergine curry that's cooked in 20 minutes in a pan. It's the perfect family mid-week dinner with a sweet, mild, and creamy coconut milk sauce. Served with rice or a bed of spinach if wanting a keto curry.

One pan vegan and keto vegetable curry in a pan

If you're looking for a quick and easy vegan, keto brinjal curry that's packed with flavour, then you'll love this Indian aubergine and chickpea curry.

This is a simple and satisfying dish ready 20 minutes as it combines tender pan-fried as opposed to roasted aubergine, in creamy coconut milk, with spicy tikka paste and nutty chickpeas.

It's loaded with vitamins, minerals and fibre to keep you feeling full and energized and is great served with rice or a bed of spinach for a delicious meal that everyone will enjoy.

Close up of a black spoon in a pan with a curry aubergine recipe and chickpeas

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✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
🛒 Ingredient Notes
📋 Instructions
👩‍🍳 Substitutions
⚖️ Variations
🔪 Equipment
❄️ Storage
💡Pro Tips
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
❓ FAQ
➕ More Curry Recipes
🍽️ Vegetarian Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

Here are a few reasons why we think you'll love this aubergine chickpea curry:

It's comfort food that doesn't require a million and one ground spices
A Vegan curry recipe that's keto-friendly and packed with protein and fibre from chickpeas and aubergines
Easy to make in 20 minutes with simple ingredients and spices
Has a sweet, mild and creamy coconut milk sauce that balances the heat from the jalapenos and lime juice
Can be served with rice or a bed of spinach for lower carbs
Inspired by Indian cuisine with a rich and aromatic flavour from curry powder and tikka paste

🛒 Ingredient Notes

Please see the printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, preparation instructions and nutritional information at the bottom of this post.

labelled ingredients for vegan aubergine chickpea curry

Coconut oil - for flavour and a high smoking point while frying aubergine pieces in a sauté pan so it is less likely to catch and burn

2 medium aubergines - diced, or use 1 large aubergine

Sliced onion - you could use red onion or white onion, depending on your personal preference

Garlic cloves - minced, or use garlic paste

Fresh ginger - grated, or from a paste for ease, or minced from a jar (although this never tastes as strong, but is convenient)

Seasoning - a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste

Medium curry powder - (or mild is preferred). Try to use a good curry powder where possible or a mix of whole spices such as ground cumin, garam masala, cinnamon stick, etc.

Tikka paste - for a quick, tasty spicy flavour, or you can use green curry paste, red curry, etc

Chickpeas - these are ready-cooked and drained from a can

Chopped tomatoes - also from a can, or use 6 large fresh vine tomatoes, diced as they are super juicy

Full fat coconut milk - for a luscious creamy aubergine chickpea curry, or opt for yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche is more accessible

Lime juice - or a squeeze of lemon as it really enhances the spicy flavours and always results in the best curries in my opinion

Optional Ingredients

Jalapeno slices - I use jarred, or fresh red chilli
Fresh coriander - to create a texture sensation with each bite
Vegetable stock cube - for extra flavour

📋 Instructions

person frying diced aubergine in a large frying pan on the stovetop

1. In a large frying pan, add the coconut oil and fry the aubergine until softened, stirring occasionally.

red onions, garlic and gingers with pan fried aubergine in large skillet

2. Then add the sliced red onions, garlic, and ginger and continue to fry over medium heat until softened.

person stirring a pot of curry with aubergine in a large pan on the hob

3. Add the curry powder and fry while stirring for 1 minute to ensure everything is coated.

chickpeas added to aubergine curry in large frying pan

4. Stir in the drained chickpeas.

person stirring canned tomatoes and puree to make a curry aubergine recipe

5. Now add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut milk and lime.

Then fry over medium-high heat while stirring for 5 minutes.

person stirring coconut milk into a vegan curried aubergine and chickpea recipe

6. Low the pan to low heat and add the coconut milk, sliced jalapenos and lime juice.

Give it a good stir and heat through until piping hot and serve with fresh coriander, on top of a bed of spinach or white rice and enjoy.

Tip: before adding the coconut milk, do a taste test with the aubergines to ensure that the skins are no longer bitter. If so, continue cooking for another 5 minutes and add a splash of water if required.

Curry with aubergine and chickpeas on a bed of spinach in a bowl served with lime

👩‍🍳 Substitutions

Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make to this eggplant chickpea curry:

Coconut oil - swap for tablespoon oil such as vegetable oil, olive oil, etc
Aubergines - swap for diced courgettes (zucchini), mushrooms, squash, or okra
Curry powder and tikka paste - you can use 3 tablespoons of any curry paste of your choice, such as korma, madras or rogan josh to suit your taste buds and add more at the end if needed
Chopped tomatoes - use fresh tomatoes or tomato passata
Chickpeas - swap for cauliflower florets or ½ cup of red lentils for red lentil dahl, but I recommend also adding a cup of water or stock as they will be very thirsty!
Coconut milk - use full fat or lighter coconut milk for fewer calories, or make your own dairy free coconut yogurt. For an aubergine and chickpea curry without coconut milk, simply use any cream of your choice
Lime juice - swap for lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce (or balsamic vinegar for gluten free), for some sweet acidity
Jalapenos - use fresh or dried chilies for heat

Recipe for aubergine curry in a pan on a table ready to serve

⚖️ Variations

Here are some different ways you can enhance and truly personalise this aubergine chickpea curry recipe:

Spinach version - add fresh spinach for extra greens and blend it to a coarse puree before stirring it in the curry
Seedy - add mustard seeds, black onion seeds, or lightly crushed seeds from a cardamom pod
Spicy - use different spices such as coriander seeds, tsp cumin seeds, and dried chillies for more depth of flavour
Nutty - for a satay taste, stir in smooth peanut butter at the end
Butter - stir in a few tablespoons of plant based butter
Deluxe - stir in coconut cream and a swirl of toasted sesame seed oil
Kid friendly - use mild curry powder and instead of using any chilies, stir in some mango chutney for a sweet, mild taste that's not too hot

You might also love this aubergine and chickpea stew.

🔪 Equipment

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❄️ Storage

Storing - we prefer eating this chickpea aubergine curry freshly cooked, but it can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Freezing - cool to room temperature and again, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Reheating - If you want to eat the next day, defrost in the fridge if required and microwave your eggplant and chickpea curry until piping hot, or on the hob or stove.

💡Pro Tips

If some prefer a hotter aubergine curry recipe, serve a mild portion first, then stir in any hot chilli paste into the rest of the curry after
When cooking aubergine in curry, don't skip pan-frying the aubergine, otherwise, the skins may taste bitter and bland
To prepare aubergine, be quick and don't cut ahead as they will discolour, otherwise, you will need to squirt with lemon
If you prefer this as an unofficial Slimming World vegetable curry, use Fry Light instead of tablespoons of oil, low calorie curry paste (or omit) and use light coconut milk
You can easily bulk it with leafy greens to make eggplant, kale and chickpea curry or spinach
If you don't have tikka paste for this simple curried aubergine dish, you can swap for ½ teaspoon ground cumin, turmeric, and ground coriander
An alternative to aubergines in a curry is diced courgettes (zucchini), but will require 3-4 minutes frying time instead.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Brown rice: serve your chickpea and eggplant curry with brown basmati rice or wholegrains like quinoa for a tasty complete meal

Indian bread: enjoy with a great side of naan bread, whether it be garlic naan, cheesy naan, plain, kulcha, Peshwari or keema (meaty). We love trying different naan bread recipes!

Poppadoms: great for dipping into the curry for some crunch

Crunchy salad: I love a fresh salad that usually come with our takeaways. All you need is some shredded lettuce, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and a wedge of lemon

Yogurt: Serve with some yogurt mint sauce, cucumber raita and mango chutney

Vegetables: enjoy with a side of steamed green beans, peas or sauteed mixed vegetables.

Potatoes: for anyone not wanting a low carb serving, top on a baked potato, or a side of Bombay potatoes, etc

❓ FAQ

How do I make the aubergine crispy?

You can pan-fry the aubergine in coconut oil until golden and crisp on both sides, or roast them in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Can I use a different curry paste?

Yes, you can use any curry paste that you like or have on hand. You can also make your own curry paste with spices such as coriander, cumin, garam masala and turmeric.

Can I make it a roasted eggplant curry?

Yes, you can roast the aubergine chunks first. Simply drizzle with oil on the diced aubergine, give it a good shake and bake in a single layer on a lined baking tray for 1 hour at 170c fan/190 conventional/gas mark 5/375F.

Then continue to cook your vegan aubergine curry as usual.

➕ More Curry Recipes

Looking for more new curry recipes like this? Tickle your tastebuds with these:

🍽️ Vegetarian Recipes

Here are some more vegetarian recipes with aubergine that you might like:

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