Brinjal Curry Recipe (Eggplant Curry)
Updated: July 9, 2025, By Swasthi
Brinjal Curry aka Eggplant Curry, is an everyday Indian curried dish made with eggplants, onions, tomatoes, herbs and spices. This comforting curry is quick to make & is packed with delicious South Indian flavors. It’s nut-free, gluten-free and plant-based. This Eggplant Curry is best served with plain steamed rice, millets, and quinoa or with flatbreads.
Eggplants are close to the hearts of many Indians and there are some extremely popular Indian dishes made with them. Gutti Vankaya, Bharwa Baingan & Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan, are some of the curries made with brinjal.
However those recipes are more involved and require multiple steps where nuts, seeds, herbs and spices are roasted & ground. The recipe shared in this post is very simple and I’ve also shared a few variations below.
Which Eggplant/ Brinjal for a curry?
Eggplants come in different varieties, sizes and colors. The kind of brinjal used in the curry determines the taste and flavor of your curry. This is one dish where spices won’t help much. So choose the right kind.
The smaller variety of eggplants that come in purple, green or a mix of purple & white are best for a curry. They have a very thin skin which is sweeter, flavorful and the flesh tastes buttery. You won’t need a lot of spices or coconut milk to cook with those and this is the kind mostly used in Indian cuisine for a curry.
The other variety is the slender, sleek and long eggplants that are the next good option to use in a curry. These are usually sold as Chinese, Japanese or Indian long brinjal. Though each of these are slightly different & have a slightly thick skin than the small varieties, they all work well in a curry.
The larger varieties with a thick skin like the globe/ American eggplants, have a spongy texture, less flavor and won’t cook well in the curry easily. These are best suited to grill/ broil/ bake/ fry or fire roast. In India, these are used to make baingan bharta, chutney or fried brinjal and are rarely used in a curry.
However if this is the only kind that’s available, you will either grill/ broil/ fire roast or pan fry the eggplants before adding to the curry. If you omit this step your curry won’t be good and the eggplants will take forever to cook.
Choose eggplants with fewer seeds
Usually small, immature and baby eggplants have no seeds at all. Eggplants with fewer seeds weigh lesser than those (of the same size) with more seeds. So you will ideally pick fresh looking, firm & glossy brinjals that have a smooth skin and weigh lesser for its size.
Ingredients & Substitutes
- Aromatics – Like any other curry, this recipe requires onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies for the base. Red or yellow onions are best for this.
- Tomatoes – I like to use fresh tomatoes but you may use lesser amount of canned if you want. If you are using small eggplants, you may cut down the amount of tomatoes, for the flavor of brinjal to shine through.
- Spices – A good sambar powder or a curry powder and a small amount of garam masala are essentials of this recipe. If you are using the small Indian variety brinjal, you may omit the sambar powder and go with minimum amount of garam masala, at the finishing stage.
- Whole spices like Cumin and mustard elevate the flavors. But feel free to omit them if you don’t like.
- Herbs – I always have fresh curry leaves so I use them. You may use dried or omit and simply garnish with coriander leaves/ cilantro.
- Protein – My Mom would add green peas, chickpeas or black eyed peas in a brinjal curry. So I have included a small amount of peas here. Feel free to omit them, or sub with hard boiled eggs. Tips in variations section below.
Photo Guide
How to make Brinjal Curry (Stepwise photos)
This recipe serves 4. To make 2 servings you may halve the ingredients.
Preparation
1. Dice ½ kg (1 lb.) eggplants to 1 inch pieces and add to a large bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt & enough pour water to cover them. Rest for 15 mins, while you prep up the rest. (If you prefer to oven roast them, add only half tsp salt, omit adding water, instead let them sit for 10 mins in a colander & later transfer to a prepared baking tray. Drizzle with oil and broil for 8 to 10 mins.)
2. Prep up the following ingredients:
- 1 large onion fine chopped to make 1½ cup onions (175 grams)
- Chop or slit 1 green chili (deseed if you want, optional)
- Fine chop 4 large garlic cloves to make ¾ tablespoon (or use 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste)
- Fine chop half inch ginger to make ½ tablespoon
- Fine chop or puree 2 medium tomatoes to make 1½ cup (230 grams or use lesser amount of canned)
- ½ cup green peas (60 grams, optional or use 1 cup canned/cooked chickpeas or black eyed peas)
- Rinse and pat dry 1 sprig curry leaves (omit if you don’t have)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (Jeera)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (optional, I use Kashmiri/ byadgi)
- 1½ tbsp sambar powder or curry powder (adjust to preference)
- ¾ to 1 cup water / stock or coconut milk (or use 50/50)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala (adjust to preference)
- To garnish, fine chop 2 sprigs of coriander leaves – optional
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard begins to pop, add the curry leaves.
4. Stir in the onions and green chilies. Saute on a medium heat, for 5 to 6 mins until light golden. Add the ginger garlic and saute for 1 to 2 mins.
5. Add tomatoes and half teaspoon salt. Cook until the tomatoes break down.
6. Stir in the red chili powder and sambar powder or curry powder.
7. Saute for 1 to 2 mins, until fragrant.
8. Pour ¾ to 1 cup water or coconut milk and bring to a boil.
Make the Eggplant Curry
9. While the curry cook, drain the eggplants from water. Heat a pan with 1½ tablespoon of oil (or ghee for more flavor) and add the eggplants. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt. (We already added salt to tomatoes so go with lesser)
10. Pan fry on a medium high heat for 7 to 8 mins, until the skin is discolored or blistered.
11. Stir the pan fried or oven roasted eggplants in the simmering curry and add the green peas.
12. Adjust the consitency by adding more liquid if required. I did add a little more here.
13. Cover the pan and simmer until the brinjal is tender and fully cooked to your liking. If you overcook too long, it won’t taste good and will take on a different flavor.
14. Taste test and add more salt or garam masala to your preference. I used ¾ teaspoon home ground garam masala.
Garnish eggplant curry with coriander leaves. This is the consistency you get.
Egplant curry is best served hot with rice , roti, millets or quinoa. You may refrigerate the leftovers in a air tight container for 2 days and reheat in a pan (not cooker).
Expert Tips
- Every brand of spice blends like sambar/curry powder or garam masala produce different results. So look for a really fragrant blends and adjust the quantities as required. I use homemade versions.
- I use this homemade sambar powder or this mild curry powder. They are not too hot or spicy but extremely fragrant. They include a small amount of lentils which actually thickens and flavors the curry naturally.
- Oven baked veggies like pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potatoes or potatoes can included during the last few minutes of cooking.
Variations
- In Telugu cuisine, traditionally green peas (dried matar), chickpeas or black eyed peas are used while making brinjal curry or stir fry. That’s mostly a drier curry with no tomatoes & sambar powder included. You need to soak them overnight and boil until tender before using. You may do that but use only baby or long eggplants (no globe).
- To make this a dry curry, use baby eggplants or the Indian/ Thai variety and cut down the amount of onions and tomatoes to half. Omit the curry powder and use very little garam masala at the finishing stage.
- To include hard boiled eggs, make slits on the eggs and add during the last 3 to 4 mins of cooking. Or fry them in a tsp of ghee or butter, until blistered and sprinkle some chili powder and salt. Use them as garnish. It is important to either halve them or make slits, else they will burst or blow up in the pan.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Originally published in November 2015. Updated in July 2025.
Brinjal Curry Recipe (Eggplant Curry)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- ½ kg (1 lb) eggplants (young fresh brinjals)
- 3½ tablespoons oil (divided 2 +1½)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 sprig curry leaves (pat dry, omit if you don’t have)
- 1½ cup onions (175 grams, fine chopped from 1 large)
- 1 green chili (deseeded, chopped or slit, optional)
- 1½ cup tomatoes (230 grams, deseed & fine chop or puree, 2 medium)
- ¾ tablespoon garlic fine chopped (or use 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste)
- ½ tablespoon ginger fine chopped
- ½ cup green peas (60 grams, optional or sub with 1 cup canned/cooked chickpeas or black eyed peas)
- ¼ to ¾ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (optional, I use Kashmiri/ byadgi)
- 1½ tablespoon sambar powder or curry powder (adjust quantity to preference)
- ¾ to 1 cup water / stock or coconut milk (cut down if using baby eggplants)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped (to garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Dice eggplant to 1 inch pieces and add to a bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt & pour water to cover them. Rest for 15 mins, while you prep up the rest.
- Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they begin to pop add the curry leaves, onions and green chilies. Saute until golden for 5 to 6 mins.
- Add the ginger garlic and saute for 1 to 2 mins. Add tomatoes and salt. Cook until the tomatoes break down.
- Stir in the ground spices – red chili and sambar powder/ curry powder. Saute for 1 to 2 mins, until fragrant. Pour water or coconut milk and bring to a boil.
How to make Brinjal Curry
- While the curry cook, drain the eggplants from water. Heat a pan with 1½ tablespoon of oil and add the eggplants. Pan fry on a medium high heat for 7 to 8 mins, until the skin is discolored or blistered.
- Stir the eggplants in the simmering curry and add the green peas. Cook until the eggplants are tender and fully cooked.
- Taste test and add more salt or garam masala to your preference.
- Garnish eggplant curry with coriander leaves. Serve over rice or with flatbreads
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
Follow Swasthi’s Recipes
Comments
Hi do you make videos as well?
Hi Palak,
Yes! The video for this recipe is yet to be uploaded.
Love this eggplant curry! Tasted authentic..
Thank you so much Nathan.
Hello! Can I ask what type of mustard seeds did you use in the recipe? Is it yellow or black?
Hello Jazz,
Use black mustard
This eggplant curry looks delicious. I can only find the globe eggplants where I live. Would you roast them before adding to the curry?
Thank you. Yes this recipe uses small eggplants. If you use globe variety you may roast them in the oven or sear in a pan with 1 tablespoon oil else they remain spongy in the curry
Delicious eggplant curry! Lesson learnt – soak the eggplants in salted water to bring out the bitterness
Look nice
Great recipe. I like to cook potatoes through it and serve with naan.
this was amazinnnnnng, thank you!!
Glad you like it Tavan.
This recipe is pretty easy and turned out delicious. Not coconut heavy and this is exactly what I was looking for. I used broth in place of water and I’m going to make it again and again. Soaking the eggplants did the best job! Thank you for the recipe and the pictures really helped.
Fabulous recipe especially as I have a glut of beautiful home grown egg plants. Delicious with fresh new potatoes
Beautiful recipe. I made it twice and my wife likes it. The first time we also roasted the eggplants in oven for 10 mins. But I think cooking them in the sauce until they break down gave a different flavor profile. Both ways delicious and will make it again!
Very clear instructions, and lovely recipes.
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was delicious. I have tried three of your recipes and lived each one. I also love how clear the instructions are.
So glad to read that Myriam. Thank you!
I made Brinjal eggplant curry it turned out very good, while I cutting the eggplant and half of them rotten and I had cooked okra then I used okra with it. And all the spices are give the dish very tasty, also I like the curry leaves.
I am not Indian but I love the food. I cannot eat eggs, dairy and gluten so going to restaurants is impractical. I have tried this recipe today and everyone loves it. My husband also thinks too much spiciness hides the flavor of the veggies and he found your recipe very tasty. Will do it again. Thank you for sharing it, you must put a lot of efforts in this posts.
Hi Valerie,
Thank you so much for the kind words. Yes a lot of effort goes into these posts. So glad you all loved it. Hope you get to try more Indian foods.
🙂
Although we are not Indian, we do cook a lot of Indian dishes, as well as frequently dining at Indian restaurants. This recipe is vey authentic and tasty. The only changes we made were to add Fresno chilis instead of green chili… and we added button mushrooms for texture. Great.
Thanks for trying Nathan. Yes, this is how it is made in Indian homes.
Why does my curry looks dull in colour? Yours has a red colouring to it.
Use Kashmiri red chili powder for a bright red color. Also soaking the eggplants in salted water prevents your eggplants from turning dark. This also helps in a brighter color
Thank you for your reply. I used some red chilli powder (unsure what type) and I did soak the eggplants in salted water. Do you think I can add red chilli oil during re-heating to brighten the dish?
I don’t think red chili oil works. Red chili paste or paprika works. But red chili paste can make it too spicy so start with lower amounts and see.
Hi, I love all the recipes of yours that I’ve tried.
I have a more general comment though, about the removal of the ‘skip to recipe’ option that used to be at the top of each page.
Please bring it back, I don’t like guessing where the recipe begins.
Hello Eve,
Thank you for trying. Sorry I am too late in replying. Actually the jump to recipe tab/link is not removed but is moved a little further down, after the first image. Hope you find it.
I just tried this today and came out absolutely delicious…thankyou
Glad to know Mel. Thank you for sharing back
Though l was initially skeptical about a curry with Eggplant. Swasthi thank you for this amazing recipe. It tasted just YUM 😋
This was excellent and I made a double batch, added some grilled chicken, and my family of four finished all in one sitting. It’s too good!