Super tasty, super healthy roasted aubergine curry

I love aubergines. I love them roasted, grilled, barbecued and fried. But I find, when I make an aubergine curry, they soak up the oil like a sponge!

I have adapted my original aubergine curry recipe to create this super tasty, healthy roasted aubergine curry.

The healthy twist

I owe this healthy twist for my healthy aubergine curry to Delia Smith.

Long before there were food bloggers, celebrity chefs, diet gurus, wellness whatever, there was Delia.

With Delia, her recipes are matter-of-fact, easy-to-follow and they work. 

Back then, Delia had a cookery series and books where she covered the basics. I mean, the basics, like how to boil an egg.

Delia didn’t smash avocados. Her food was for eating, not photographing and sharing across digital channels. There was no engagement, liking or following.

During one of these shows, Delia demonstrated how to cook aubergines and limit the oil content.

Light bulb moment! Would this work for my aubergine curry? 

So c’mon what’s the twist for this super healthy roasted aubergine curry?

All you need to do is roast the aubergine before cooking the onions, garlic, ginger, spices and tomatoes, and you will still get that lovely silky texture as you would if you had cooked the aubergine in a ton of oil.

Yup, that’s it, and it works.

Thank you, Delia!

Super tasty, super healthy roasted aubergine curry

Super tasty, super healthy roasted aubergine curry

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

• Author: Tooting Mama
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes (includes roasting time)
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4 - 6 people 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Cuisine: Sri Lankan

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 aubergines (medium size)
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil (e.g. sunflower oil (2 tablespoons for the aubgerine, and two for frying the onion, garlic, ginger and spices))
• 2 red onions sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves stripped from the stems
• 1 crushed dry chilli
• 250 grams cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 juice of one lime
• pepper and salt to taste
• 30 ml water

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (fan) 200 degrees (conventional).
2. Cut the aubergine into quarters lengthways, then chop into one-inch triangle slices.
3. Place into a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and using your hands, mix thoroughly.
4. Spread the aubergine pieces evenly onto a baking tray, pop them into the middle shelf of your oven and roast for about 20 minutes.
5. While the aubergines are roasting, slice the onions and finely chop the garlic and ginger.
6. On medium heat, heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan and add in the whole spices, chilli and curry leaves.
7. Once the spices start popping add the onions and fry until they are soft and are starting to turn translucent before adding the garlic and ginger. Fry for around three to four minutes. Turn the heat down so the garlic and ginger don’t burn.
8. Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, and cook until soft and the skins start to burst.
9. Now add the ground spices, and seasoning and stir continually to incorporate all the ingredients.
10. Finally, add the freshly roasted aubergines. These should be soft, and lightly charred. Mix the aubergine into the tomatoes. Add the water, turn down the heat, cover the pan and allow the curry to cook for 20 minutes. You should have a thick, rich, spicy sauce coating deliciously soft aubergines. Finish off with a squeeze of lime.
11. Serve with basmati rice or as an accompaniment to your main curry dish.

---