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Round or oval eggplants really do resemble their namesake. The name eggplant was apparently given by the Europeans in the eighteenth century because the variety they knew then had fruits whose shape, size, and color looked like goose eggs. In Malaysia, these round eggplants are known as Indian eggplants or brinjals, used mainly in curries and sambals.
Indian eggplants have a tougher skin and a firmer texture. When cooked they become creamy, sweet, and tender. They also retain their shape if not overcooked. Their coloration vary from ivory white through shades of green to the deepest purple. The most common being the deep purple variety.
The Indian grocery store I frequent always has a supply of these deep purple round eggplants. Whenever I pay them a visit, I can’t resist bringing home a few. These eggplants are “meaty” and can hold their own as a vegan or vegetarian dish. However, they also combine really well with meats and seafood.
The last time I featured round eggplants was in a coconut based curry with shrimps. I also used them in my version of vegetable moussaka. This time I decided to pair them with their namesake, the egg, in a spicy and tangy curry. We really enjoyed the combination as it was very tasty and appetising. The eggs and creamy eggplants offset the sharp taste of the curry very nicely and the eggs gave the curry a nice contrast of colors. Of course the eggs may be omitted for a vegan version instead.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60ml) canola oil
- 1 lb (450g) round eggplants
- 1 tsp tamarind paste (soup base mix)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 hard cooked eggs
- 6 red jalapeno chilies, seeded and cut into small pieces
- 1 stalk lemon grass, sliced bottom third into rings
- 1-in knob ginger, peeled
- 1 medium sized onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
Instructions
Blend all spice paste ingredients with as little water as possible until fine.
In a medium sized pot, heat canola oil. Add ground spice paste and stir for 5 minutes until cooked and fragrant.
Add eggplants and stir to get them coated with spice paste. Pour in 1¼ cups (300ml) water and bring to a boil. Add tamarind paste, sugar, and salt. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until eggplants are not quite tender as yet.
Add eggs and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
Turn off heat and let curry sit for 10 minutes before serving.
http://www.rotinrice.com/2012/08/egg-and-eggplant-curry/
Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 
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Tags: curry, eggplant, main dish, Malaysian, vegetarian
The aubergine curry looks great and with hardly any oil. I’ll try out your style next time.
Do let me know how it turn out for you.
wow! absolutely love your idea to pair eggplant with eggs, and a curry version at that! can’t wait to give this recipe a try =)
Thanks Bob and Julie for visiting! I hope you get a chance to try it soon.
I love all your recipes with the mouth-watering sambal-related ingredients. The idea of playing with the word “eggs” is great. This makes a wholesome meal with steamed rice. I’m sure it was yummilicious
Can’t wait for another nonya-type of entry. Simple, tasty and colourful!
Thank you for all your kind words. Now that my boys are older and can handle the heat better, I can make more of these spicy sambal dishes. Yes, we had lots of rice with this one.
Oh yummy! I love eggs and eggplants:D only thing is I hate blending the spices lol! Looks really delish Biren:)
Use a mini chopper/blender – much less to wash.
This dish looks so fascinating Biren! I love the spiced flavours and it sounds so wonderful.
Thanks Amanda!
Hi Biren, how have u been? I love egg plants & this is simply awesome. One interesting fact tho….. I found your egg plants round but those I use are long ones. Wonder if they taste the same.
I am doing well, Shirley. Thanks for asking. These round eggplants do taste slightly different. The long ones are more tender and better pan fried or steamed. These round ones can be boiled a little without disintegrating.
This would be lovely with some flatbread!
Yes, some flatbread would be really nice.
Biren, I love eat extra rice for this spicy yummy food. Long time did not cook curry, makes me so crave for it
Spicy food whets the appetite. I try to cook something spicy every now and then.
GENIUS! Eggplant and curry together sounds amazing. I see it the ingredients together a lot but never in the way you did it! I love this
Thanks Jessica!
I recently cooked with Indian eggplants myself…. I love them. This looks beautiful and I love it paired with the egg. Very clever.
Indian eggplants have a nice firm texture and are great in curries. Good thing I can get them quite easily here. Will surely cook this again soon.
Oh I can smell the spice coming out of that processor after having blended those jalapenos! So good! I do love a good eggplant curry, but I’ve never had it with eggs, nor have ever had curried eggs. I love this combination! It looks SO spicy and delicious!
You have to give it a try. We enjoyed the combination of eggs and eggplants. The spicy gravy went really well with the eggs.
Nice! Eggplants have so much flavor. Better yet, they absorb so much flavor! I love them curried. And the addition of eggs is wonderful. I really like the idea of curried eggs, but haven’t found that many recipes I like (although they’re great with sweet potatoes and tomatoes). This looks like a winner – thanks.
I love eggplants and cook them often. They are like sponges absorbing all the flavors in the gravy. I hope you will give this recipe a try.
I’m just getting my appetite back and your pictures are making my salivary glands work overtime! I have to say it – this looks to me like brinjal asam pedas! I feel like rushing out to the market downstairs, right this minute, for some brinjals, lemon grass, ginger, tamarind and galangal. My fridge is quite bare at the moment, as I have done only very light cooking of late. Still, I have a big bag of chillies in the chiller LOLOLOL I am just beyond redemption
Lovely pictures as always!
Glad to hear you are recovering and yes, this does look like asam pedas or more like gulai tumis. I am not surprise you have red chilies in your fridge. I have some too!
I grew up with spicy food and it is hard not to add a little heat into the daily dishes.
Btw, did you know that these round, short eggplants are called gundu kathirika in tamil? Doesn’t that sound adorable? When a Tamil calls you gundu kathirika, it means you’re short and round….. um, kinda where I’m at right now
Gundu kathirika sounds cute! Yes, I can imagine a “gundu” being squat and round.
Sadly, I hardly picked up any Tamil words.
What a great curry! You know that eggplants and eggs is a combo that is also used in Italy? Curious isn’t it?
Interesting! Would love to see how they are cooked together.