Thai Eggplant Curry features Thai eggplant (or Thai aubergine, depending on where you are from!), as well as peppers, onions, and aromatics like ginger and garlic. This baby eggplant curry is also naturally gluten free and vegan (no need for substitutions). I love how the thai eggplant soaks up all of the delicious flavors of the sauce, just like a sponge.

Recently I came across these little cuties in the store, and I knew that I had to use them in a recipe! Generally my go to with any new "vegetable" is a stir fry or a curry, and today I went with the later. This Thai eggplant dish is a little spicy from jalapeno or thai chilies, but feel free to leave that out!
For another simple curry recipe, try Easy Chickpea and Spinach Curry.
First things first…
What are Thai Eggplants?
You may be wondering, what even are Thai eggplants? Thai eggplants are little green orbs, about the size of a golf ball and are either green or yellow depending on their ripeness. These baby eggplants are often darker near the stem and fade to a creamier white color at the other end.
Differing from japanese eggplant and chinese eggplant, these eggplants are not purple or elongated shape. Here are some great eggplant recipes!
They are slightly bitter in flavor, but otherwise mild and they have a crunchy texture. Their botanical name is Solanum melongena, and they are members of the nightshade family (like a tomato!). They are technically a berry but are most often eaten in savory dishes.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil
10 thai eggplant, stems trimmed and sliced into wedges
3 tbsp. red curry paste
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro or thai basil leaves
1 jalapeno or thai chili, minced
Instructions
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, add in onions, garlic and peppers. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes and then add in your eggplant, salt and curry paste. Stir to coat.
Allow to cook for 3-4 more minutes and then pour in the coconut milk. If you have never cooked with coconut milk before, you may be surprised by it's texture. It separates and solidifies when at room temperature. One it heats, it immediately becomes liquified and can easily be stirred into the dish.
Let the eggplant mixture simmer and stew in the liquid for 10-15 minutes, until they are tender. Top with fresh cilantro or basil and serve over rice.
Recipe FAQs
They are not as readily available as traditional eggplants, but many Asian markets will stock them. I found them at my local supermarket, but they are a specialty item that comes and goes. Be on the lookout and you may be pleasantly surprised to see them stocked some day!
You certainly can! This is something that sets them apart than other eggplant varieties, in that they can be eaten as crudite or raw in salads. They are really tender and easy to eat. Aside from preparing in curry and spicy basil dishes, they are actually most commonly eaten raw. Simply slice them up and serve them with your favorite dip.
Yes, you can. Thai eggplant have a lot of seeds in them and it can be difficult to remove them while still retaining the meat. When the fruit is less mature, the seeds are lighter in color and more tender. The more ripe the fruit (it tends to turn yellow on the outside as it ripens) the harder and less palatable the seeds. They also become darker in color and turn brown. You can remove them in you would like, but cooking them should be enough for most people to enjoy.
Not at all! The skin of thai eggplant is soft and thin. There is no need to peel.
Looking for more delicious Thai dishes?
- Thai Cucumber Salad
- Pad Kra Pao (Thai Basil Chicken)
- Pad Pak with Chicken
- 15 Minute Veggie Curry with Vermicelli Noodles
Thai Eggplant Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil
- 10 thai eggplant stems trimmed and sliced into wedges
- 3 tbsp. red curry paste
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 14 oz. can coconut milk
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro or thai basil leaves
- 1 jalapeno or thai chili minced
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add in onions, garlic and peppers. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes and then add in your eggplant, salt, and curry paste. Stir to coat.
- Allow to cook for 3-4 more minutes and then pour in the coconut milk. Stir.
- Let the eggplant mixture simmer in the liquid for 10-15 minutes, until they are tender. Top with fresh cilantro or basil and serve over rice
Beth says
This was so delicious and yummy! My family and I absolutely loved this for dinner the other night! Can’t wait to make this again.
Andrea says
What a fabulous looking and sounding curry. Perfect meal for my family.
Adrianne says
These eggplants are so cute and I have never seen them before! I can understand why you needed to cook with them, they are so unique. This recipe looks like it has great flavour and I can't wait to give it a go, thanks for sharing!
Biana says
Looks so delicious! I like Thai food, and this curry looks perfect for dinner.
Claudia Lamascolo says
What a great place to start when youve never had thai food, this looks wonderful!
Anjali says
This dish was so easy to make but was packed with flavor - love the shortcut to use red curry paste too!
Claudia Lamascolo says
This sounds so delicious I cant wait to make it, we have eggplant growing and this is being printed as I type, thanks PS that family portrait is adorable congrats on your arrival
Sarah says
That's perfect. Homegrown eggplant would be wonderful. And thank you so much! He is a dream come true!
Jill says
This sounds delicious. If I can't find Thai eggplants, can I use the purple variety?
Sarah says
You certainly can! Just cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Lima Ekram says
I just made this recipe - it was soooo good! Thank you for writing up all the tips - got it right the first time!
Sarah says
I am happy to hear that the tips were helpful!
Serena says
I almost never find these Thai eggplants at my local market. I'm going to have to start looking harder because this curry sounds delish!
Sarah says
I have been seeing them more recently, but still can be tricky to find. If you can't find them, regular or even chinese eggplant works too.
Allyssa says
I tried this one and it turned out really amazing! This recipe is really helpful and very easy to make! Loved it! Thanks a bunch for sharing this recipe, will make it again for sure!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
That looks delicious and I've heard Thai eggplant are much nicer.
Cookin' Canuck says
Now I'll be on the hunt for Thai eggplants! What a great way to highlight their flavor and texture.
Kechi says
This sauce looks unreal!! What a delicious looking curry; thanks for sharing!
Alison says
I love that this recipe is vegan yet super flavorful! The Thai eggplants were delicious!
Michaela says
Love how the eggplant just soaks up all the flavors to make this one incredible looking dish. Can't wait to taste it.
Cookin' NYC tax guy says
Ginger isn't in the recipe but mentioned in the intro. How much and when?
Sarah says
I apologize, my curry paste had ginger in it. But extra could be added when you add the garlic. I would do about a tbsp. of grated fresh ginger. -Sarah