Chickpea, Tofu, and Eggplant Curry

This Chickpea, Tofu, and Eggplant Curry is an easy to make and delicious weeknight dinner recipe. It's naturally vegan + gluten-free and made super creamy with coconut milk.

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It's a good sign that you're onto something when a non-eggplant fan tells you that the eggplant curry you've just made is one of the best curries you've EVER made. Whoa, wait, what?? One of THE BEST? I'll take it!

That exact thing happened. My eggplant not-loving handsome man declared his love for eggplant curry. It was weird. And wonderful. The compliment, not the curry; that wasn't weird at all.

The sauce rich and creamy and flavorful without being overpowering. It starts out with the must-have onion, garlic, and ginger trio. What would life even be like without those three? Shudder, I don't even want to think about it.

You're going to add a few Indian spices to the trio and let them gently toast. Then, you're going to pop some tomato paste in the pan and let it caramelize a little, just like the good foodie you are. Once the smell of the spices take over your house, you're going to pour in a can of coconut milk and a little water. Stir, and done.

So easy!!

Before you get busy (but not actually busy cause it's so easy) making the sauce for the eggplant curry, you're going to do two little things:

1. Brown the eggplant so it looks extra pretty.
2. Pan-fry the tofu so it looks pretty, too.

If you're in a super hurry, you can skip both these steps. But hey, the curry only takes 35 minutes to make, so you prob have the time.

If you're only in a little hurry, pan-fry the tofu. It'll help it to not crumble when you add it to the curry.

Now, my friend, run to your kitchen and make this magic happen. 🙂

More Vegan Curry Recipes

• Lentil Curry
• Black Chana Masala {chickpea curry}
• Crockpot Coconut Lentil Curry
• Autumn Roasted Pumpkin Curry
• Coconut Black Lentil Curry (vegan dal makhani)
• Coconut Acorn Squash Curry

Chickpea, Tofu, and Eggplant Curry

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

This Chickpea, Tofu, and Eggplant Curry is an easy to make and delicious weeknight dinner recipe. It's naturally vegan + gluten-free and made super creamy with coconut milk.

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

4.72 stars (52 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
• 16 ounce package of medium-firm tofu, cubed and dried with paper towel
• 3 long Asian eggplants, quartered into 3-inch strips
• ½ large onion, very thinly sliced (use a mandolin, if you have one)
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• ½ tablespoon each: cumin seeds, turmeric, sea salt
• Optional: ½ – 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 14 ounce can coconut milk, 400ml
• ½ can water, measured from the empty coconut milk can
• 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Cilantro, to serve

Instructions 

• Heat ½ tablespoon of the coconut oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and pan fry until golden brown on 2 sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan.
  16 ounce package of medium-firm tofu
• Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in the pan used for the tofu. Brown the eggplant on all sides, working in batches if needed. Remove the eggplant from the pan.
  3 long Asian eggplants
• Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of coconut oil in the same pan used for the eggplant. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it softens. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the garam masala, cumin seeds, and turmeric to the pan and let them toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the sea salt, optional chili flakes (if using) and the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  ½ large onion, 2 tablespoons minced ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon garam masala, ½ tablespoon each: cumin seeds, turmeric, sea salt, Optional: ½ – 1 teaspoon chili flakes, ¼ cup tomato paste
• Add the coconut milk and water to the pot, bring it to a boil and stir, scraping the bottom for any stuck on bits. Add the eggplant back into the pan and turn the heat to low. Let the eggplant cook, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes, or until it is soft but not mushy.
  14 ounce can coconut milk, ½ can water
• Stir the chickpeas and tofu into the curry and let them heat through. Serve with some rice (or, my favorite, cauliflower rice) and some cilantro on top.
  15 ounce can chickpeas, Cilantro

Notes

Pair with steamed basmati rice or cauliflower rice

Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 451kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 1393mg, Potassium: 1160mg, Fiber: 18g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 345IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 227mg, Iron: 4mg

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