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Rich, cumin, black cardamom scented Indian Tofu eggplant curry. Spicy crispy eggplant and tofu with Onion Coconut cardamom sauce. serve with naan, flatbread or rice. Gluten-free
Table of Contents
Whole spices when toasted and added to a creamy sauce, add layers of flavor to the dish. Some spices are stronger when the sauce is just made and hot, others show up more as the sauce sits. Every times you eat this curry, it will surprise you! Use whatever spices you have as the sauce has a ton of flavor overall.
This is an adapted recipe from Mughlai recipes that I’ve been experimenting with lately. I had a bunch of eggplant left, so I fixed this eggplant and tofu curry.
I pan fry the tofu and the eggplant that have been coated in cornstarch and fragrant spices, so that they get crisp. The texture improves immensely when it is crisped up either in the skillet or baked and then added to the sauce.
The eggplant works amazingly crisped up and paired with this sauce! You can use other veggies instead like cauliflower, sweet potato, zucchini.
Use either baby eggplant or Japanese eggplant to make this curry. Some eggplants have more seeds, so choose the type that you prefer.
Why You’ll Love Tofu Eggplant Curry
- delicious, North Indian flavors with no meat
- crispy tofu and eggplant
- rich, tomato-based curry sauce
- easy to make in just one pan!
- gluten-free with soy-free and nut-free options
More Vegan Mughlai Recipes
Recipe Card
Tofu Eggplant Curry
Rich, cumin, black cardamom scented Indian Tofu eggplant curry. Spicy crispy eggplant and tofu with Onion Coconut cardamom sauce. serve with naan, or rice. Gluten-free
Servings: 4
Calories: 201kcal
Ingredients
For the tofu and the eggplant:
- 7 ounces (198.45 g) firm or extra firm tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes and then torn into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups (164 g) sliced eggplant (baby eggplant preferred)
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste or 3 cloves of garlic, minced and 1/2” piece of ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or use paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or other starch
- 1 teaspoon oil
For the sauce:
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 black cardamom pod, broken open, or use green cardamom
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 1/2 cups (240 g) chopped onion, Red onion, chopped small
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste , or 5 cloves of garlic minced, 1 inch ginger minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or Indian chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) non-dairy yogurt or used non-dairy cream of choice
- 1 1/2 cups (354.88 ml) of water
Instructions
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Crisp up Tofu and eggplant: Press and tear up the tofu, if you haven’t already, and set it aside. Also slice the eggplant, if you haven’t already. No need to peel the eggplant, if you’re using the smaller or the Japanese variety. If it’s a larger eggplant, then peel and slice it.
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Add the tofu and eggplant to a bowl, then add the ginger-garlic paste and toss to coat. If you’re using minced ginger and garlic, add that and also add in 1/2 a teaspoon or more of lime juice to help wet the tofu and eggplant. Then mix the spices and cornstarch in a small bowl and sprinkle that all over. toss well to coat.
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Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and once the oil is hot drop the tofu and eggplant mixture evenly all over the skillet. Cook on one side for 2 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook the other side. Stir occasionally to make sure that none of the pieces are getting too brown. Once the eggplant is crisped up on most of the edges, remove the tofu and eggplant from the skillet and set it aside. This whole step can take anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes.
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Make the sauce: Heat another teaspoon of oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and mix for a few seconds. Then, mix in the rest of the whole spices. Continue to cook until the cumin seeds and the black cardamom are fragrant.
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Add the onion and the salt into the pan. Mix and cook until the onion is golden, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.
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Add in the almond flour, shredded coconut, ginger-garlic paste, cayenne, and coriander. Mix and press and to break down any almond flour lumps as well as to mix the ginger-garlic paste. Cook for a minute or two to roast the almond flour and shredded coconut, then add in the tomato paste and yogurt. Mix the tomato paste in, adding in a few tablespoons of water, if needed, to help the tomato paste mix in.
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Add in the rest of the water, mix really well, and cover the skillet with the lid. Bring the sauce to a good boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for another 5 minutes.
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Open the lid, taste and adjust salt and flavor. I usually add another bit of salt at this point. If the sauce is too thick, you can add in more water or some non-dairy milk. Then, fold in the tofu and eggplant. (I usually fold in about two thirds of the tofu and eggplant, then put the rest of the tofu and eggplant on top of the sauce for serving. It also looks great this way!) Simmer for a minute, then switch off the heat.
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Let the dish sit for another 2 to 3 minutes for the flavors to meld and the sauce to infuse some of the tofu and eggplant. Garnish with cilantro and lime juice and serve with naan, flatbread, or rice.
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You can also add this to wraps or make a naan pizza. To make the naan pizza, stick the tofu eggplant curry on a pizza crust or naan, top it with some cheese, and broil for a few minutes just to melt and brown the cheese a bit.
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Store refrigerated for upto 3 days, freeze for upto 2 months.
Notes
Eggplant and tofu curry is naturally gluten-free.
To make this nut-free, omit the almond flour and use a nut-free nondairy yogurt.
To make this soy-free use chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, soy-free tempeh, or cooked chickpeas instead and use a soy-free non-dairy yogurt.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Tofu Eggplant Curry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 201
Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 672mg29%
Potassium 486mg14%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 409IU8%
Vitamin C 11mg13%
Calcium 127mg13%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- tofu – Use firm or extra firm tofu, and tear it into rustic pieces to give it a chicken-like consistency when cooked.
- eggplant – Use baby eggplant or Japanese eggplant for the best results. If you do need to use a larger eggplant, make sure to peel it, as they have a thicker peel might be too intrusive in this curry.
- ginger-garlic paste – To flavor the tofu-eggplant mixture and to flavor the sauce.
- dried spices – To season the eggplant and tofu and the sauce.
- cornstarch – To help the spices stick to the tofu and eggplant and help them get crispy in the pan.
- oil – To sauté.
- whole spices – This is this first flavor layer in the sauce.
- onion – Pan fried onion adds umami and the next layer of flavor.
- almond flour and shredded coconut – Bringing so much richness and flavor to the sauce! For nut-free, you can use ground pumpkin seeds instead of the almond flour.
- tomato paste – Adds a rich, umami flavor to the sauce.
- non-dairy yogurt – For creaminess and tang.
Tips
- Don’t skip pressing the tofu for the best texture!
- If you can’t find a Japanese or baby eggplant, make sure that you peel your eggplant before slicing and using.
- After adding the tomato paste, make sure it’s fully broken down before moving on to the next step. A splash of water will help, if it’s being stubborn.
- Reserve a little bit of the cooked tofu and eggplant to arrange on top of the sauce for a beautiful presentation!
How to Make Eggplant and Tofu Curry
Press and tear up the tofu, if you haven’t already, and set it aside. Also slice the eggplant, if you haven’t already. No need to peel the eggplant, if you’re using the smaller or the Japanese variety. If it’s a larger eggplant, then peel and slice it.
Add the tofu and eggplant to a bowl, then add the ginger-garlic paste and toss to coat. If you’re using minced ginger and garlic, add that and also add in 1/2 a teaspoon or more of lime juice to help wet the tofu and eggplant. Then mix the spices and cornstarch in a small bowl and sprinkle that all over and toss well to coat.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and once the oil is hot drop the tofu and eggplant mixture evenly all over the skillet. Cook on one side for two to four minutes, then flip and cook the other side.
Stir occasionally to make sure that none of the pieces are getting too brown. Once the eggplant is crisped up on most of the edges, remove the tofu and eggplant from the skillet and set it aside. This whole step can take anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes.
Heat another teaspoon of oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and mix for a few seconds. Then, mix in the rest of the whole spices. Continue to cook until the cumin seeds and the black cardamom are fragrant.
Mix the onion and the salt into the pan. Continue to cook until the onion is golden, stirring occasionally, six to eight minutes.
Add in the almond flour, shredded coconut, ginger-garlic paste, cayenne, and coriander. Mix and press and to break down any almond flour lumps as well as to mix the ginger-garlic paste.
Cook for a minute or two to roast the almond flour and shredded coconut, then add in the tomato paste and yogurt. Mix the tomato paste in, adding in a few tablespoons of water, if needed, to help the tomato paste mix in.
Add in the rest of the water, mix really well, and cover the skillet with the lid. Bring the sauce to a good boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for another five minutes.
Open the lid, taste and adjust salt and flavor.
I usually add another bit of salt at this point. If the sauce is too thick, you can add in more water or some non-dairy milk, as well. Then, fold in the tofu and eggplant. I usually fold in about two thirds of the tofu and eggplant, then put the rest of the tofu and eggplant on top of the sauce for serving. It also looks great this way! Simmer for another minute, then switch off the heat.
Let the dish sit for another two to three minutes for the flavors to meld and the sauce to infuse some of the tofu and eggplant. Garnish with cilantro and lime juice and serve with naan, flatbread, or rice.
You can also add this to wraps or make a naan pizza. To make the naan pizza, spread the tofu eggplant curry on a pizza crust or naan, top it with some cheese, and broil it for a few minutes just to melt and brown the cheese a bit. So good!
Frequently Asked Questions
Eggplant and tofu curry is naturally gluten-free.
To make this nut-free, omit the almond flour and use a nut-free nondairy yogurt.
To make this soy-free use chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, soy-free tempeh, or cooked chickpeas instead and use a soy-free non-dairy yogurt.
Japanese eggplant or baby eggplant works best in this recipe.
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