Aubergine, also known as eggplant, is one of the finest vegetables for curry, alongside sweet potatoes. Incorporating aubergine into chicken curry enhances its nutritional value and aids in digestion.
Someone once asked me what type of food I liked the most. I replied, “Curry!” without even thinking, and I also liked Indian-style bread.
Even though it’s not 100% true, chicken curry is still in the top 10 of my favourite foods. Before I came to the UK, I never had curry. I didn’t quite know what Indian cuisine was, but I loved it from the first time I tried it.
We haven’t been to Indian restaurants as much recently and are also cutting back on takeaways. The reason is straightforward: we aim to eat healthier. However, this doesn’t mean we’ve skipped one of our favourite cuisines. I cook chicken curry every couple of weeks, adding different vegetables, such as spinach and chickpeas.
What do you need
To make it easy, I divided the ingredients for this chicken-aubergine curry into two categories: Spices and Other ingredients
Spices for the curry:
- 1 tsp Ginger powder
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 and 1/2 tsp Curry powder (medium or hot)
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper or another chilly powder – optional
Mix spices in a bowl and set aside.
To add later:
- Garam masala
- Fenugreek leaves (or fenugreek powder) optional
- Coriander leaves, 1 tbsp dry or 2 tbsp fresh
Other ingredients:
- Olive or coconut oil
- Chicken thighs or chicken breasts
- Aubergine
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Chopped tomatoes (tinned)
- Natural yoghurt
- Double cream
- Water
- Salt to taste
How to cook this delicious curry
1/ Cut the chicken to medium sizes, sprinkle with salt and leave aside.
2/ Measure spices into a bowl and mix (omit Garam masala, Fenugreek (if using) and Coriander leaves).
3/ Slice onion, dice aubergine and mince (chop or grate) garlic.
4/ Heat half of the oil in the skillet, add the chicken and fry on high heat until golden brown (by 5 minutes), stirring frequently.
5/ Remove cooked chicken pieces from the skillet and place it on the plate. Reduce the heat.
6/ Add the rest of the oil in the same skillet, fold in sliced onion, and fry until light brown, about 5 minutes.
7/ Add cubed aubergine, prepared spices, garlic and one or two tablespoons of water. Stir fry on medium heat for 2 min.
8/ Add chopped tomatoes, yoghurt and double cream and mix.
9/ Add the chicken to the curry, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the water, stir again, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes.
10/ Finally, add the rest of the spices and 1/2 cup of water (or more if needed), stir, and cook for 10-15 min on low heat. It should just shimmer, not boil.
NOTES:
Instead of the yoghurt and double cream, use coconut milk + 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice.
You can also make this chicken curry recipe vegetarian. Omit the meat and add sweet potato, more aubergines, or a combination of sweet potato, broccoli, and aubergines. If you prefer, you can also add green beans, spinach or chickpeas.
Serving ideas for the curry
Generally, we eat curry with rice and naan, paratha or other Indian bread.
But if you’re trying to eat healthier and less starchy food, I recommend serving this curry with cauliflower rice or low-carb Indian-style bread. The chicken-aubergine curry is rich and filling, and cauliflower rice and Indian bread complement it nicely.
Besides, I recommend trying other chicken recipes if you love chicken.
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THE BEST CHICKEN-AUBERGINE CURRY
Cooking Tools
- skillet large
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Wooden spoon
- Plate
- Small bowl
Ingredients
- 300 g Chicken thighs - (or chicken breast)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Olive oil divided - (or ghee or coconut oil)
- 1 Aubergine
- 1 large Onion
- 3-4 Garlic cloves
- 1 tsp Ginger powder
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp Curry powder - medium or hot
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper - optional
- 1-2 tbsp water
- 1 tin Chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Natural yoghurt
- 1/4 cup Double cream
- 1/2 cup Water - or more if needed
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1/4 tsp Fenugreek leaves - (or fenugreek powder) optional
- 1 tbsp Dry coriander leaves - 2 tbsp if using fresh
Instructions
- Cut chicken to medium sizes, sprinkle with salt, mix and leave for a few min.300 g Chicken thighs, 1 tsp Salt
- Slice onions, dice the aubergine and mince or chop garlic.1 Aubergine, 1 large Onion
- Measure the spices and put them in a bowl or plate. Set aside.1 tsp Ginger powder, 1 tsp Ground cumin, 1 tsp Ground coriander, 1 tsp Turmeric, 1 1/2 tsp Curry powder, 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
- Heat the oil in the skillet on high heat. Add the chicken pieces and fry until lightly browned.3 tbsp Olive oil divided, 300 g Chicken thighs
- Remove the fried chicken from the skillet to a plate or bowl and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, in the same skillet, add the rest of the oil, fold in sliced onion and fry until light brown, around 5 minutes.3 tbsp Olive oil divided, 1 large Onion
- Add cubed aubergine, prepared spices, garlic and one or two tablespoons of water. Stir on medium heat for 2 min.1 Aubergine, 1-2 tbsp water, 3-4 Garlic cloves
- Add chopped tomatoes, yoghurt and double cream and mix.1 tin Chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp Natural yoghurt, 1/4 cup Double cream
- Add chicken. Stir and cook for 2-3 min. Add the rest of the water, stir again, cover and cook for another 10 min.1/2 cup Water
- Add the rest of the spices, stir and cook for 10-15 min on low heat. It should just shimmer, not boil.1 tsp Garam masala, 1/4 tsp Fenugreek leaves, 1 tbsp Dry coriander leaves
- Divide on the plates, sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with low carb Indian bread.