A Roasted Aubergine and Chickpea Curry without coconut milk is a delicious healthy vegan curry and ready in under 30 minutes. It's also dairy and gluten-free.
Pre-heat the oven to 200C/395F/gas mark 6. Toss the aubergine in half the olive oil and season with salt. Roast in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes. until the aubergine is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
500 g Aubergine /Eggplant, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt
Add the rest of the olive oil to a large frying pan and fry for onion for 2 - 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and fry for a further minute
2 red onions, 2 cloves of garlic, 3 cm fresh ginger
Add the spices, ground coriander, ground cumin, tumeric, garam masala and curry powder and fry for one minute. This helps release all the flavours
Add the chopped tomatoes, drained chickpeas and fresh coriander leaves and simmer for 10 minutes. stirring occasionally
800 g chopped tomatoes, 240 g cooked chickpeas, 2 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves
Add the roasted aubergine and stir together and serve.
Notes
Tips
Aubergines don't need to be peeled, just wash and dice them into cubes roughly 2cm.
Adding some salt to the aubergines when roasting helps them absorb less oil and crisp up.
Instead of the spices, you could substitute a few tablespoons of curry paste if you prefer. The amount will depend on the strength of the curry paste and your personal preference. Start with 2 tablespoons for a serving for 4 people.
For a creamier sauce, substitute half the tinned or canned tomatoes with the same quantity of coconut milk.
I use cooked chickpeas from a tin in this recipe as it's easy. Make sure you drain and rinse them before adding them to the curry or you will have too much liquid. Dried chickpeas need to be pre-soaked and this is best done overnight as it takes 8 - 12 hours.
Serving Suggestion
Serve with white or brown rice such as basmati or fragrant jasmine rice. You could also serve it with a simpleFlatbread or naan bread. A spoonful of natural (vegan) yoghurt adds an extra creaminess and can be used to tone down the spice if you need to. Fresh coriander or cilantro leaves are lovely sprinkled over the top
Storage
Can be stored in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. It freezes well and it's best eaten within 3 months. Making a batch of a recipe can save on energy use.