I first tried Indian food in my first week of college. I was raised by meat-and-potatoes parents in a small Maine town. We survived off of canned green beans and overcooked chicken for most of my childhood. So I had no spice tolerance, or exposure to other cultures, despite translations of Chinese foods through microwaveable “egg rolls” and “orange chicken”. So, during my first week of college, I was invited to a large group meal of kids from my pre-orientation group. I was nervous, but quickly learned that I loved tikka masala. Samosas. All the classics. So, fast forward a decade and I make this eggplant tikka masala all the time.

My First Tastes of Indian Food

Eggplant is something that I cook and eat a lot. To me it’s reliable, easy to cook, and never bad. I can only think of a few times when I’ve really messed up and overcooked or undercooked it, but it’s all a learning process. My favorite order at my family’s favorite Italian restaurant is eggplant or chicken parmesan. I make my own version now that I love. I saw on Instagram once that people were cooking eggplant whole and then butterflying it into a flat, thin filet. They breaded it and fried it. So, I tried it a couple years ago and it blew my mind. The eggplant was perfectly cooked, crispy, and made the perfect vessel for cheese and tomato sauce. 

Back to the Indian restaurant in college. I remember sitting in the middle seat in a group of 10-12 18 year olds. We were stuffed in a small restaurant with red walls, which became one of my favorite restaurants over my 4 years there. They first brought out an intriguing selection of dipping sauces with thin watery crackers, which I devoured after a long day. We ordered samosas, which nearly burnt my tongue off. Once they cooled, I could taste their subtle spice and delicious crunch. My friend advised me to order something simple, so I asked for chicken tikka masala with a low spice level. 

Building My Spice Tolerance

When they brought it out, I marveled at the copper dish filled with a luscious orange/brown curry. A side dish of perfectly cooked rice. We split butter and garlic naan at the table. I had a bite of coconut-stuffed naan, which became an all time favorite. When I ate my curry, the chicken melted in my mouth, and I savored the rich sauce. When it mixed with the rice the saffron stained the grains bright orange. The taste changed when tempered with the plain rice. I was transfixed by the simplicity of it. Yet, it had a complex, developed spice profile, like it was cooked for hours. I had never tasted anything like it.

Now I eat curry all the time, and I have a huge spice tolerance. I put hot sauce on nearly everything and cook with spices almost every day. Chili crisp on eggs and generous clouds of cayenne in sauces and spice mixes. I remember the first time I tried to cook tikka masala for myself, during the pandemic. I spent the whole afternoon diligently measuring ingredients and preparing garlic, ginger, onions, and reading and re-reading the recipe. There was even homemade naan and I grilled them in cast iron. I slathered them in butter. By the time I was done I was really to drop from exhaustion. 

A Lighter Curry Option

Weirdly now the process has become much shorter. I can pretty much make it from memory and have a better sense of intuition when it comes to spice rations and textures. I can recognize the color of the tomato sauce as it cooks. How much cream I need to add to the orange sauce for the perfect texture. And I always sprinkle a bit of salt and extra cayenne and chili crisp on top. A sprig of cilantro if I have it. 

This week was hot, then cold, then hot, then cold. The weather was really bizarre. And my palette is very driven by the weather, so I had smoothies and cold salads one day. The next I was craving curry. So, with a fresh eggplant and yogurt from the fridge, I realized I could make eggplant tikka masala. I’ve made it before, and I always like it just as much as the chicken version. It’s a little lighter, and more pungent. In a good way. 

This version is slightly different from my usual recipe, which utilizes cashew cream in lieu of heavy cream. Instead of butter you can use vegan butter or coconut oil if you want to make this fully vegan. This is one of those magic recipes that tastes just as good as the full fat, heavy cream version with lighter, healthier ingredients. I have never been vegan and don’t plan to be, but this is a dish I could eat every day happily. The cashew cream is super easy to make and the eggplant is flavorful and deliciously tender. 

Marinated Eggplant

I start by marinating eggplant in yogurt and spices, just like I do with chicken thighs. Then, I cook the eggplant in a wok with oil. About 7 minutes for each batch, tossing the pieces after 3-4 minutes. This ensures the eggplant is nice and soft after it cooks in the curry sauce. I collect my cooked, turmeric-stained eggplant pieces with charred, crispy edges on a baking sheet. Then, I cook onion with spices in coconut oil. Once they’re soft, you add tomato passata and cook that down for about 10 minutes until the vibrant red sauce thickens and turns into a dark brick color. Then, you add sugar, salt, and cashew cream. 

The cashew cream is the essential creamy element. All you do is soak cashews in hot water for a couple hours. Then, you blend. It’s that simple. With the right ratio of cashew to water, you achieve a texture similar to heavy cream with less of the fat and calories. And the taste of the curry is virtually the same. When you add the cream you also add the cooked eggplant. I throw in a little water, too, which will evaporate. This is because I cook my eggplant tikka masala longer than my chicken version to make sure the eggplant is soft and soaks up all the sauce. Because it cooks longer, it naturally thickens more, so the water helps achieve the right texture. 

Cashew Cream Curry Sauce

Of course, at the end, you should taste, adjust your sauce viscosity, and add spice or salt as you wish. I was super happy with how this came out. The cashew cream provides a very subtle nutty flavor but doesn’t change the taste of the curry you’re familiar with if you frequent Indian restaurants. The eggplant is soft and tender with a strong spiced flavor. The curry sauce is so velvety and bright orange. I served it with cilantro rice, made in my rice cooker. One of the best kitchen tools I own. I just chopped some farm-fresh cilantro and threw it in with my rice before it cooked. I garnished my curry with another sprig. 

Eggplant tikka masala is a recipe I will go back to over and over again. I’m proud of this one, and love that the 18 year old kid trying Indian food for the first time has grown to love it so much. I genuinely could eat curry and rice every day. And don’t even get me started on naan. This also feels like one of those recipes that is too good to be true. It’s delicious, something I could happily eat every day. But it’s cheap, easy to make, and can become vegan if you need. It’s not too good to be true – it’s just really good eggplant tikka masala!

If you like this recipe and my tikka masala painting, be sure to check out my Etsy for 100’s of my art prints and recipe cards. Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. Thanks so much for reading. 

Print Pin

Eggplant Tikka Masala

An eggplant curry that tastes like the Indian restaurant classic

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword curry, eggplant, tikka masala

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 cups tomato passata
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 – 2 tsp ground cayenne
• 1 tsp chili crisp optional
• 1 cup fresh cashews
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups jasmine rice + 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• Cilantro to garnish

Instructions

• Peel and chop eggplant into bite sized pieces.
• In a large cup or bowl, pour 1 cup of hot water on 1 cup of cashews. Cover and let rest to soften the cashews for at least 2 hours.
• In a large bowl, combine yogurt with 1 tsp of turmeric, cumin, and garam masala. Add eggplant and coat in yogurt mix.
• Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to a day.
• In a large wok, heat 2-3 tbsp neutral oil over medium/high heat.
• In batches, fry eggplant pieces until golden brown and soft, 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a tinfoil-line baking sheet when cooked.
• Turn your heat down to medium and add your coconut oil (clean the pan if any burnt bits remain).
• Add your diced onion to the coconut oil and cook until softened, 5 minutes.
• Add your garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
• Add the other 1 tsp of each of your spices, including 1 tsp freshly ground coriander seeds.
• Cook for 1 minute until the spices are cooked into the aromatics.
• Add your tomato sauce, brown sugar, salt, and optional chili crisp and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until the sauce turns from bright red to a deep brick orange.
• Once your sauce has deepened in color, blend your cashews and water to make cashew cream. Add the entire amount to your tomato mixture and stir to combine into an orange curry.
• Add your eggplant to the curry sauce and cook over low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes until eggplant is cooked.
• Meanwhile, cook your rice and water with fresh chopped cilantro in a rice cooker.
• Once your curry is ready, taste and add a small amount of water if needed to reduce thickness. Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro.

Notes

• If you don’t like cilantro, feel free to use chives or parsley. 
• You can use tofu or potatoes instead of eggplant. If you use potatoes, pre-cook bite-sized tomatoes the day before until fork tender and repeat the steps. 
• Depending on your spice tolerance, you can add more cayenne or chili crisp. Less is more!