Thai Red Curry With Eggplant
This Thai Red Eggplant Curry is loaded with umami savory flavor, combining fried eggplant with sauteed onion, classic Thai spices, red curry paste, creamy coconut milk, fresh lime juice, and juicy tomatoes.
INGREDIENTS
- 4-5 cups chopped eggplant, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, or coconut oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 3-4 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 3 teaspoon red curry paste, or panang curry paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika, regular or sweet, not smoked
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes, or crushed tomatoes
- fresh cilantro for serving
- 1 fresh lime, juiced
- 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup, or coconut sugar (optional)
- salt & black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- If serving with rice, start cooking it now.
- Start by cutting the eggplant into 1-2 inch cubes. Remember not to chop them too small, as they tend to shrink during cooking.
- Add olive oil to the large skillet (or smaller pot) over medium heat and cook the eggplant pieces, stirring for 5 minutes. Season the eggplant with salt and black pepper.
- Next, add in garlic and onion, along with red curry paste and spices. Cook for another 5 minutes until onion and garlic become fragrant.
- Pour in coconut milk and diced tomatoes to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow it to simmer on low heat for approximately 15-25 minutes. Taste for seasoning again and adjust salt and black pepper if needed. This simmering time will infuse all the flavors together, resulting in a savory and hearty curry.
- After you've simmered the curry, drizzle with lime juice, stir through and remove it from the heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. During this resting period, the curry will naturally thicken, and its flavors will meld even further.
- Optional add-in: for sweetness I love to add a drizzle of maple syrup, it helps with the overall flavor and enriches the curry.
- Serve your scrumptious eggplant curry over the perfectly cooked rice, fresh cilantro and enjoy!
NOTES
- This curry makes about 4 smaller servings or 2 large.
- To Store. Store leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To Freeze. You may freeze it for up to 3 months however I didn't like the mushy texture of eggplants after thawing, but the flavor was still delicious like on the day of making!
- How to get the bitterness out of eggplant? The most effective method is to give it a pre-salt treatment. Here's what you can do: simply sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt over the chopped eggplant and let it sit in a colander for at least 30 minutes. Some sources recommend soaking eggplant in milk. After that, give it a gentle rinse with water and pat it dry.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 4gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 34mgPotassium: 674mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1106IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?@theyummy_bowl and tag #theyummy_bowl! Thank you!