Coming to a South Indian home for a festival, there is one thing you will look forward to – pongal or payasam for dessert. This is the go-to dessert for every festival. Depending on the region you will encounter various flavours of payasam (kheer) or pongal.

Pongal for all times

Pongal is a slow-cooked soft preparation either sweetened by jaggery or equivalent or made savoury by the addition of salt and tempering. It is not only at the harvest festival you see pongal. We make savoury pongal for breakfast, sweet pongal for birthdays, auspicious days, cravings and whatever you can think of. Pongal us also when amma doesn’t want to do much but put a meal on the table quickly. Really, pongal is all that and lots more love.

New flavours to try.

Once we left off using white sugar, we turned out attention to natural sweetness. We explored mango sweetened pongal, jackfruit sweetened one(yum it is) and now trying out sugarcane.

Related recipe

Click here for – Jackfruit Sharkkarai Pongal

Sugarcane juice is the starting form of the refined sugar we conveniently dump in. In fact, using sugarcane actually made me realize perhaps this was how sweet pongal was originally meant to be. Slow cooker aroma of sugarcane juice infused with cardamom was ambrosial.

Getting on with a busy day

Eighty per cent of the Indian festivals this year will come on the days we are working. Of course, this means, I will be doing samplers and rushing off to work. Getting on as a working mum, I do have some tricks up my sleeve too. Pongal is that wonderful recipe I often rely on to make these festival days perfect. Now pongal with rice, takes a wee bit longer than my instant go-to, beaten rice flakes. Cooking with aval (rice flakes) is as quick as add, stir and done. I am surely going to use that shortcut in this recipe for sure.

Every Krishna Jayanthi, we make a thali full of treats for little Krishna with the beaten rice flakes. This includes both sweet and savory recipes. Over a period of time, I have found that these recipes, together with take less than an hour to put together. I do make the ladoo ahead of time on the weekend and keep ready.
Here is the collection, so you can try.

Rice flakes recipes for Janmashtami

If you are planning to make a sadhya (banana leaf meal) for the festivals, here is my guide to a make it faster.

A working woman’s guide to the sadhya

Enjoy the festival season, stay safe with your loved ones. Tag us with your festival creation on Instagram and Facebook.

This Eggplant curry is not for the faint hearted! Eggplant is roasted rather than fried for a healthier yet equally delicious alternative (high temp does the trick here), then simmered in an intensely spiced Indian curry sauce so it sucks up the flavour and partially collapses to create a big pot of juicy (delicious) mush.

Low cal at 250 calories and incidentally vegan. Yay vegans!

Eggplant Curry

This is a curry inspired by the famous Sri Lankan eggplant curry we love at New Shakhti Sri Lankan in Homebush (Sydney, Australia). It’s one of those “hole in the wall” places where the servers get grumpy if you dare to take the time to mull over which 3 curries you want in your lunch pack.

“Hurry, hurry, people are waiting!” they say in a heavy Sri Lankan accent, gesturing at the queue forming behind you.

And, flustered, I quickly jab my finger at a bunch of curries – because really, it doesn’t matter what you choose because everything there is good (and cheap).

Their eggplant curry has an intensely deep, smoky and sweet taste we suspect comes from deep frying the eggplant to get massive caramelisation and oily goodness.

This recipe is a more achievable and healthier home version, and because we can’t replicate the same Sri Lankan curry flavour without deep frying, we’ve had to head to South Indian style.

It is very, very tasty. And much less oil!

What goes in eggplant curry

Here’s what goes in the Eggplant Curry.

Don’t fret if you can’t get all the spices – I have solutions for you! See the recipe card notes.

The two ingredients in this eggplant curry that makes it stand out as a truly authentic South Indian Curry are black mustard seeds and curry leaves.

• Eggplant – small to medium eggplants are best so every piece has a bit of skin which helps them hold together when simmering in the sauce, rather than turning into a big pot of eggplant puree. Asian eggplants (the thin ones) will also work here;
• Black mustard seeds – they look like poppyseeds but have a slight wasabi-like bite to them. And they smell Indian, not Japanese! Not spicy, more a fresh zing.  It’s about $1.50 in small packs at Indian grocery stores – I go to Indian Emporium in Dee Why on the Northern Beaches, Sydney. Also sold in the Indian food section at some Woolworths (Australia) $1.70, and also sold online – small, light pack so postage should be minimal! Also used in Dal and will be used in special new recipe coming in a couple of weeks.
• Curry leaves – imagine curry powder, in fresh curry leaf form! Adds incredible curry perfume into anything it’s used in. Fairly accessible nowadays for Sydney-siders, sold at Harris Farms, most Coles and Woolworths. I intend to find a plant! They keep for ages in the fridge – as in several weeks. This too is used in Dal and the upcoming special new recipe! Throw in 10 or so when cooking Curried Rice, or into this Indian Chickpea Curry or Vegetable Curry – it will really take it to a new level! Substitute: dried curry leaves (not quite the same, but it’s the best sub) or Garam Masala powder;
• The other spices – nothing out of the ordinary here, everything you find at local grocery stores;
• Coconut – coconut milk or cream is fine here. Only 3 tablespoons – it doesn’t make it taste of coconut, but it’s remarkable what a difference it makes to add a touch of luxury to the mouthfeel of this curry;
• Tomato – anything is fine here, pulp or passata (base recipe), or canned crushed tomato (crush it more by hand to make it more fine) or even a dollop of tomato paste;
• Garlic and ginger – as with most Indian curries, a good wack is essential for a good curry experience!

How to make it – Roasted Eggplant for curry

Here’s how to roast the eggplant – cut into thick batons, then roasted at a high temperature with just 2 tablespoons of oil so the outside is nicely caramelised, the inside is soft and juicy, and it holds its form rather than collapsing into mush. Simply the best way to cook eggplant in the oven!

Notice how the eggplant pieces are beautifully browned on the outside and still holding their form, rather than being a soggy pile of mush (which is what happens if you roast at a lower temp). Just holding in the juicy insides!!

How to make Eggplant Curry

And here’s how the curry is made:

• Fry off the mustard seeds and curry leaves – your house is going to smell insane!
• Cook off the ginger and garlic (your house will smell even more incredible!);
• Add the spices (your neighbours will catch a waft and start salivating);
• Then tomato and water, mix it up into a very intensely flavoured curry sauce;
• Add eggplant and simmer so it absorbs the flavour (neighbours will come knocking at this point);
• Then lastly, stir in the coconut milk (neighbours will be camped out on your door step, refusing to leave without a taste).

What it tastes like

This is not one for the faint hearted – it’s not mild and creamy like Butter Chicken. It’s a very intense authentic Indian curry flavour, as opposed to a generic flavour like those recipes you see made with a load of just “curry powder” and maybe some Garam Masala.

The dominant flavour here are the curry spices – you can’t taste the tomato (for thickening the sauce) nor the coconut milk (for slight richness to mouthfeel).

Also, another specific characteristic with this curry is that it’s not saucy. It’s one big pot of juicy (I’m going to say it!) MUSH. You don’t need a separate sauce!

Healthy! 250 calories per serve.

Indian food actually uses a LOT of oil in cooking. You would fall off your chair if you knew how much your friendly local Indian restaurant is using for his curries!

Yes there’s still 5 tablespoons of oil in this, but it’s a vegetable curry so lacks all the additional fat that the meat in a meat curry would drop and so has to compensate to be tasty.

But it’s not so unhealthy – in fact, it clocks in at just 250 calories per serving!

Though if I had my way it would be 1/2 cup of oil …. – Nagi x

PS Pictured with basmati rice and dollop of yogurt. Flatbread for stuffing wouldn’t go astray and for a fresh side, try this Minted Yogurt Tomato Salad, or this fresh creamy Cucumber Salad or plain roasted Broccolini (skip the Tahini sauce in the recipe). More Veg and Salad Sides here. And if you’re going low carb, use Cauliflower Rice instead (the sauce is so strong, you won’t care).

Watch how to make it

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Eggplant Curry - South Indian

Recipe video above. This curry is not for the faint hearted! Eggplant stars in this strong flavoured curry, roasted rather than fried for a healthier yet equally delicious (high temp does the trick here), then simmered in an intensely spiced curry sauce so it sucks up the flavour and partially collapses to create a big pot of juicy (delicious) mush.

Incidentally vegan (as much of South Indian food is). See recipe notes for subs for the harder to find spices.

Course curries, Mains

Cuisine Indian

Keyword eggplant curry, eggplant recipe, indian curry, vegetarian curry

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 250kcal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Roasted Eggplant:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola)
• 700g / 1.2 lb eggplant (aubergine) , 2 medium (Note 1)
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Curry:

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola)
• 3/4 tsp black mustard seeds (Note 2)
• 14 curry leaves, fresh (Note 3)
• 1 red onion , quartered and thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp passata or tomato pulp (or canned tomato) (Note 4)
• 1 tbsp garlic , grated (4 cloves approx)
• 1 tbsp ginger , grated (1.5cm piece approx)
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp coconut milk or cream, full fat (low fat - no point)

Curry Spices:

• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder , pure (not US Chilli Powder spice mix)
• 4 tsp coriander powder
• 4 tsp cumin powder

Serving

• Basmati rice
• Yogurt , highly recommended
• Coriander/cilantro leaves , optional
• Flatbreads (easy naan!), optional

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Roasted Eggplant:

• Preheat oven to 240°C / 450°F (220°C fan). Line tray with parchment/baking paper.
• Cut eggplant into 1.5cm / 2/3" slices, then cut into 1.5cm / 2/3" batons.
• Place in large bowl, toss with oil, salt and pepper.
• Spread on tray, roast 20 minutes. Turn, roast for a further 10 minutes - edges should be caramelised, soft inside, but they're not shrivelled up and dismal. Use pre recipe.

Curry:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, let them sizzle for 15 seconds.
• Add curry leaves, stir, leave to sizzle for 15 seconds - seeds might pop, Indian cooking is very dramatic!
• Add onions, cook 5 minutes until golden brown.
• Add tomato, cook for 1 minute, stirring.
• Add garlic and ginger, cook 2 minutes.
• Add Curry Spices and salt, and cook for another 3 minutes - it will be a thick paste and might stick to the bottom of the pot, don't let it burn (if it starts to, remove from stove and quickly add splash of water to loosen).
• Stir in water, and then add the eggplant.
• Gently stir, partially cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Stir carefully once or twice (so the eggplants don't break up completely), add more water if it dries out.
• Stir in coconut milk, taste then add more salt if needed.
• Your result should be a very thick, juicy, strongly flavoured curry with eggplant partially intact but half naturally.
• Serve with basmati rice and a dollop of yogurt and fresh coriander leaves, if you want.

Notes

1. Eggplant - smaller the better eg. 2 x 300g eggplants, they hold together better. Asian eggplants ok too.

2. Black mustard seeds - key ingredient for authentic flavour. Look like poppyseeds, wasabi bite, Indian aroma! ~ $1.50 in small packs at Indian grocery stores (my local isIndian Emporium in Dee Why, Sydney). Also sold in the Indian food section at some Woolworths (Australia) $1.70, otherwise try online.

Substitutes (in order of preference, best at top):

• Brown mustard seeds
• Yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder*
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala( (different flavour, but is intended to make up for absence)

* Add with rest of spices

3. Fresh curry leaves - another key ingredient for authentic flavour! Sub 10 dried curry leaves. Fairly accessible nowadays for Sydney-siders, sold at Harris Farms, most Coles and Woolworths. 

Substitute:

• dried curry leaves (not quite the same, but it's the best sub);
• 1 tsp Garam Masala powder (add it with rest of spices).

4. Storage - leftovers keep for 5 days int he fridge. Should freeze fine (haven't tried), just stir carefully when reheating so eggplant doesn't turn into complete mush.

5. Nutrition per serving, curry only (no rice).

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Sodium: 1051mg | Potassium: 559mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg

More Eggplant recipes

For fellow carnivores who love how “meaty” eggplant is!

Lentil and Roasted Eggplant Salad

Moussaka (Greek Beef and Eggplant Lasagna)

Incredible BBQ Grilled Vegetables – marinated!

Grilled Eggplant with Yoghurt Sauce

Oven Roasted Eggplant (aubergine)

Moroccan Baked Eggplant with Beef

More Curry recipes – for fellow curry monsters!

Butter Chicken

Dal (Indian Lentil Curry)

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chickpea Curry with Potato (Chana Aloo Curry)

Rogan Josh

Curries

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