Eggplant Masala is a vegetarian Indian dish that is mix with eggplant, chopped tomatoes, spices, and herbs.
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In my experience, Indian cuisines have one of the best vegetarian dishes in the world. Normally when I had a meal, I need to include protein meat for me to get full. But, eating vegetarian Indian food is an exception.
One Indian vegan recipe that is my favorite yet simple to make is Eggplant Masala. Some call this dish brinjal masala, which is a northern Indian dish popular among locals. This dish has a rich flavor and great aroma since I add garlic, ginger, red onion, and spices like Garam Masala. This recipe can be serve as a main dish or side dishes which we eat it with flatbre
What makes this dish red is because I added tomatoes and red chili powder if you like it spicy. In this version of my recipe, I don’t make my masala soupy since I prefer dry masala curry. It makes it better to eat with roti/flatbread or even rice if you like.
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredient to make eggplant masala requires several spices and herbs to make this recipe.
Firstly, I am using eggplant as my main vegetable ingredient. You can use aubergine or any kinds of eggplant you like.
Secondly, I am using ginger, garlic, and onion since it gives pleasant aroma and flavor to my dish. Furthermore, I am using tomatoes and red chili powder (optional if you don’t like spicy) to make my masala red.
Thirdly, the most important ingredients for my eggplant masala are the spices. You cannot make Indian cuisines without herbs and spices.
- Turmeric
- Coriander
- Garam Masala
- Cumin Seeds
Although I forget to include in the picture, Garam Masala is the most important Indian spice since they make the dish flavorful, and it is rich in antioxidants.
Note: If you don’t have cumin seed, you can instead use cumin powder since they both taste the same.
Lastly, you need vegetable oil for sautéing the dry ingredients; water for making the tomatoes and spices into a paste & simmering the eggplant; and salt & sugar for taste.
Cooking Recipe Instruction
As long you have the spices for this recipe, cooking Eggplant Masala is easy and straight forward.
Firstly, add vegetable oil to the pan or skillet. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seed and give a stir till it turns brown.
Next, add ginger and garlic to the pan. Stir to mix before adding the red onions. Stir the onion with the ginger and garlic for few minutes before adding the chopped tomatoes.
Stir to mix the tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients before adding all the spices. Give a quick mix before adding water to help turn into a paste or sauce.
Add the chopped eggplants to the pan and stir to mix. Add water again and cover with the lid to let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the eggplant is cooked and soft. Add salt and sugar and stir for one more time before turning off the heat.
Other Indian Food Recipes
If you love Indian cuisines, here are other recipes that I use garam masala as one of my ingredients.
- Aloo Gobi Matar
- Vegetable Samosas
- Prawn Masala
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
I. Can you add other vegetables in this eggplant masala?
There is a similar Indian dish where you add potatoes with eggplant. But, this recipe is called baingan masala which is an eggplant mixed with potatoes.
II. What can you serve this eggplant dish with?
Eggplant Masala is best to serve and eat either with rice or Indian flatbread like roti or chapatti. You can also use any flatbread that you like.
III. How long can this masala recipe last in the fridge?
In my experience, when I cook food with spices, they can only last in the fridge for up 5 to 7 days.
IV. Is this dish vegan friendly?
This brinjal masala eggplant dish is a vegan friendly since I don’t add any animal products or fats. The cooking oil I am using is vegetable based canola oil, and the rest are all plant based herbs and spices.
đź“‹ Recipe Card
Eggplant Masala Recipe
eggplant, chopped tomatoes, spices and herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup of chopped eggplants
- ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon of garam masala
- 1 cup of chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup of chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
- 2 teaspoon of grated garlic
- Âľ cup of water
- 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon of sugar
- ½ teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Add vegetable oil in the pan. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seed and give a stir till it turns brown.
- Add ginger and garlic. Stir to mix before
adding the onions. Continue stirring for few minutes until the onion is almost cooked. - Add the chopped tomatoes and give a stir before adding all the spices.
- Add ÂĽ cup of water and stir till it turn into paste or sauce
- Add the chopped eggplants and stir to combine.
- Add ½ water and cover with the lid to let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the eggplant is cooked and soft
- Add salt and sugar and stir for one more time before turning
off the heat.
A simple yet delicious veg meal. I like your recipe and definitely need to try it out.
I love eggplant so much so this recipe is right up my street! 🙂
Thanks Chris. I love eggplant too.
I am always looking for new ways to enjoy eggplant, and this looks delicious!
I am glad you like my recipe Dannii. Its very delicious and rich in flavor.
So delicious. I served this with homemade pilau rice and chapatis.
Rice and chapatis are perfect for this masala dish.
Delicious! Very flavorful, quick & easy!!
We do not add sugar or sweeteners to anything, however, we thought it needed additional sweetness when trying it without sugar, so we added 12 oz of chopped butternut squash with the eggplant. This gave it the touch of sweetness it needed for our taste.
Thanks for sharing your experience Jarrod. Butternut squash is a perfect alternative to sugar
I never tried eggplant masala. Sounds like a delicious dish with all these amazing spices inside. I will definitely make this for dinner.
Thanks Natalie. I am sure you will love it. It is flavorful, healthy and delicious.
This looks so delicious and tasty! My husband is going to love this recipe! I can't wait to give this a try!
I am sure you are going to love it Beth. Thanks
I love eggplant and now I have another way to make it - thanks!
This looks so tasty! I'm a big fan of eggplant so I'm excited to try it out 🙂
I love eggplants and this one is very delicious! Can't wait to try this out! <3
This looks so colorful and delicious , nice combination with rice or wheat bread!
Dear Saif,
Greetings from Nairobi...
I made this recipe today. It was so good. Thank you for sharing it. I added meat because we're not vegetarian. It was do good. Will be making it more often.
Thank you, this is soooo yummy! I had it with flatbread and a bit of greek yoghurt.
Not sure why you needed to add sugar in this recipe as the tomatoes will add plenty of their own sweetness to the dish …other than the unnecessary inclusion of sugar…it’s an excellent recipe…thanks for posting it .
Hi Kenrick
Thanks for your comment. That's because not all tomatoes are sweet especially if it's unripe. In my experience, some tomatoes I have are a bit sour, which is why I added brown sugar to compensate it.
If your tomatoes are sweet then no need to add sugar.