Indian Eggplant Potato Curry (Instant Pot)
Indian Eggplant Curry, or Aloo Baingan, is an easy vegan and gluten-free curry made with eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes and Indian spices. Make it Instant Pot or stovetop.
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 267kcal
Cost: $5
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil I love using mustard oil for this recipe
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 1 inch Ginger minced
- 4 Garlic pods minced
- 2 Tomatoes chopped
- 2 medium Potatoes cut into small cubes
- 3 cups Eggplant cut into small cubes
- 1 cup Water
- ½ cup roasted ground peanuts or peanut butter
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Cilantro to garnish
- salt per taste
Spices
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ½ teapoon black mustard seeds
- 2 bay leaves or fresh curry leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon asafetida optional
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder adjust per taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin coriander powder
Instructions
How to Make Indian Eggplant Curry on Stove Top
- Start by preparing the vegetables. Wash the eggplant and potatoes well. Cut them into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- If using large eggplant, you can soak the cut pieces in salted water for about 10 minutes. Drain and pat them dry before cooking. This can help reduce bitterness.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bay leaf (or curry leaves), cumin and mustard seeds. Let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent.
- Add minced ginger and garlic. Cook for another minute.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes soften and the mixture becomes slightly thick. Add turmeric, garam masala. cumin and coriander powder, Kashmiri chili powder, and salt. Stir well.
- Add the potatoes and eggplant. Toss everything together so the vegetables are coated with the masala. Add a little water. Cover and cook until the potatoes and eggplant are tender.
- Mix in ground roasted peanuts. If using peanut butter, whisk it with a tablespoon of water and add to the curry. Give it a good stir so the sauce is well-mixed.
- Finish with fresh cilantro and lemon juice. That’s it. Your easy Aloo Baingan curry is ready. Serve and enjoy !
How to Make Instant Pot Eggplant Potato Curry
- The Instant Pot makes this Indian eggplant curry especially easy.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add oil, bay leaf, cumin and mustard seeds. Let them sizzle. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add minced ginger and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes and all the spices. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the tomatoes start breaking down. Add the potatoes and eggplant. Stir well. Add ½ cup water and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Make sure there are no stuck bits.
- Cancel Sauté mode. Close the lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes, then carefully perform a quick release.
- Open the lid and gently stir. Mix in ground roasted peanuts. If using peanut butter, whisk it with a tablespoon of water and add to the curry. Give it a good stir so the sauce is well-mixed.
- If the curry has more liquid than you prefer, turn on Sauté mode and simmer uncovered for a few minutes. Finish with fresh cilantro and lemon juice.
- Pro Tip: Do not overcook the eggplant in the Instant Pot. It becomes very soft quickly. 3-4 minutes of pressure cooking keeps the potatoes tender while preventing the curry from becoming completely mush
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 211mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 3mg