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Cheesy Vegetarian

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Eggplant Curry

There’s something truly magical about a well-cooked eggplant (that’s aubergine to us Brits!). If it’s cooked well, it seriously melts in your mouth, soaking up whatever flavours you cook it with, and turning soft, silky, and utterly delicious.

This eggplant curry is the perfect comfort food – packed with wholesome ingredients, it will warm you up from the inside out.

A portion of creamy aubergine curry with rice.

This vegetarian curry is so easy to make – it’s just a case of roasting all the veggies together, then combining them with the sauce. I added coconut milk to make it really rich and creamy. Don’t forget some rice or naan bread to mop up the sauce, or poppadoms for scooping!

⭐ Do I Need to Roast the Eggplant?

Yes! Roasting the eggplant is essential in this recipe. I mean, technically you could cook everything on the stovetop if you prefer, but roasting is what gives the eggplant that melt-in-your-mouth texture, so it’s non-negotiable in my eyes.

It’s so interesting how different the texture is between roasted eggplant and sautéed eggplant. If it’s sautéed, it can sometimes end up a bit tough, whereas as soon as it’s roasted, it becomes super soft and silky.

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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for creamy eggplant curry laid out with text overlay.
  • eggplants – I used two medium ones.
  • red onion
  • tomatoes – use good quality ones with a rich flavour.
  • canned lentils
  • coconut milk
  • curry paste – I used a korma paste, which isn’t too spicy. Whatever curry paste you choose, make sure it’s vegetarian.
  • garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar.
  • fresh cilantro (coriander)

If you’d like to, you could easily adapt this recipe:

  • The canned lentils could be replaced by canned chickpeas or your favourite kind of bean.
  • You can add any other vegetables that can roast up with the eggplant, e.g. mushrooms, peppers, sweet potato, etc.
  • Or, add some vegetables to the saucepan along with the curry sauce – e.g. frozen peas or sweetcorn.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you like things hot, choose a spicy curry paste like a madras. Or, keep things milder with a korma paste (or anything in between!).

📹 Recipe Video





Melt-in-your-mouth aubergine curry in a bowl with rice.

🖨 Printable Instructions

Overhead shot of a portion of eggplant curry with rice.

Print

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Eggplant Curry

Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 3 people
Calories 481kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 2 medium eggplants (aubergines) (~ 600g / ~ 1 1/3 lb total)
  • 500 g tomatoes (~ 1 lb / 5 large tomatoes)
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 Tablespoons oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 390 g tin green lentils, drained (235g, or ~ 1 1/3 cups, when drained)
  • 2 Tablespoons curry paste (I used korma paste)
  • 400 ml tin coconut milk (~ 1 1/2 cups)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Few sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro)

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
  • Cut the eggplant and tomatoes into chunky dice – around an inch or so. Cut the red onion into wedges. Add all three vegetables to a large baking tray, and drizzle with a little oil. Mix well.
    Raw eggplant and tomatoes on a baking tray.
  • Roast the vegetables in the oven for around 30 minutes, until fairly soft and beginning to crisp up.
    Roasted eggplant, tomatoes and red onion on a baking tray.
  • When the vegetables are fairly soft, heat a dash of oil in a large saucepan, and add the minced garlic. Cook for a minute or two, then add the roasted vegetables, drained can of lentils, curry paste, and coconut milk.
    Canned lentils, coconut milk, curry paste and roasted vegetables in a saucepan.
  • Mix well, and cover with a lid. Leave to simmer over a medium heat for at least 10 minutes, or until you’re ready to serve.
    Eggplant curry cooking in a saucepan.
  • Season to taste, and serve topped with fresh cilantro. I had mine with rice.
    Creamy eggplant curry and rice in a bowl.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.2g | Protein: 12.6g | Fat: 31.7g | Saturated Fat: 20.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 805mg | Potassium: 1407mg | Fiber: 17.7g | Sugar: 16.2g | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 5mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this eggplant curry in advance?

Yes – it reheats nicely, so cook it fully and then reheat when necessary.

How should I store and reheat any leftovers?

Once cooled, transfer any leftover curry to an air-tight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave or in a saucepan.

How should I serve this eggplant curry?

I usually like to serve curry with some rice and / or naan bread to soak up the sauce. This time I also served a few mini poppadoms on the side, which were fun for dipping.

🍆 Other Eggplant Recipes

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The post Melt-In-Your-Mouth Eggplant Curry appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Tex-Mex Tortilla Roll-Ups

I usually plan out my dinners for the week, but lunch is often an afterthought – and it shouldn’t be! With these easy tortilla roll-ups, lunch will be something you look forward to all through the morning. They’re quick and easy to make, and they make such a nice change from a plain old sandwich!

Vegetarian tortilla roll-ups on a plate.

Just add your chosen fillings in strips along your tortilla, and roll! Make sure you roll across the strips of ingredients, not along them, so that you get a bit of everything in each bite.

To be honest, you can stuff your tortilla roll-ups with whatever you like. Since I’m a huge fan of anything Tex-Mex (I have a huge collection of vegetarian Tex-Mex recipes!), I went for the classic combination of black beans, cheese, and guacamole – plus some jalapeños and black olives for an extra pop of flavour.

🌯 How to Serve Tortilla Roll-Ups

Just like a humble sandwich, these tortilla roll-ups are super versatile. They can be served in all sorts of ways:

  • Make them at home for a quick and easy lunch (sometimes I don’t even bother cutting them into pieces if I’m busy working!).
  • Pack them into a lunchbox to take to work or school (my kids love them, although I do adjust the fillings to their taste).
  • Cut them into bitesize pieces and serve them on a vegetarian platter for a party (they can easily be adapted to suit either kids or adults!). I would double or triple the recipe if you’re serving a crowd – you can easily prepare as many as you need.
Tortilla roll-ups in a lunchbox with fruit and crisps.
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🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for Tex-Mex tortilla roll-ups laid out with text overlay.
  • tortillas – use flour tortillas, and go for the biggest ones you can find, as they will give neater slices.
  • black beans (canned, for convenience)
  • guacamole – to stick the roll-ups together. I used shop-bought guacamole for speed, but homemade would be even better.
  • grated cheese – I used cheddar
  • black olives
  • pickled jalapeños – I used red ones as they’re a little sweeter than green.
A close up image of Tex-Mex tortilla roll-ups.

⭐ Other Roll-Up Filling Ideas

These tortilla roll-ups can be customised however you like, depending on what you have in the fridge. I’d recommend choosing one ingredient from each of these categories:

  • A spread (I used guacamole) – this is important to help to ‘glue’ the roll-ups together. If you don’t like guacamole, you could use hummus, sour cream, pesto, or any other kind of spread.
  • A cheese (I used grated cheddar) – you could also use crumbled feta, soft goat cheese, thin strips of grilled halloumi, etc. Just avoid using huge pieces of cheese, as it might stop the roll-ups from holding together as well.
  • A lean protein (I used black beans) – you could swap these for any other kind of bean, or use chickpeas or lentils instead. Canned legumes are quick and convenient to use.
  • One or two ingredients for extra flavour (I used jalapeños and black olives). You could also use finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, finely chopped peanuts or toasted pine nuts, or sliced spring onions.

Becca’s Top Tip

Avoid using any ingredients that are particularly wet (e.g. fresh tomatoes or cucumber), as they can make the tortillas a little soggy and can stop them from holding together properly. Or, if you really want to use these ingredients, remove the seeds first, as this is the wettest part.

📹 Recipe Video





Overhead shot of tortilla roll-ups on a plate.

🖨 Printable Instructions

A plateful of vegetarian Tex-Mex tortilla roll-ups.

Print

Easy Tex-Mex Tortilla Roll-Ups

Tortilla roll-ups are a quick and exciting lunch option, or to serve on a platter at parties. These cheesy Tex-Mex ones are so tasty!
Course Appetizer, Light lunch
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 464kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 2 large flour tortillas
  • 4 tbsp guacamole
  • 75 g (~ 3/4 cup) grated cheddar cheese
  • 120 g cooked black beans (1/2 a drained 400g tin, or ~ 2/3 cup)
  • Few pieces pickled jalapeños (I used red), finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp sliced black olives

Instructions

  • Lay out the large tortillas, and spread them all over with guacamole.
    Guacamole spread onto a large flour tortilla.
  • Sprinkle grated cheese in a strip along the centre of each tortilla, as well as the black beans, finely chopped jalapeños, and black olives.
    A flour tortilla topped with guacamole, black beans, cheese and olives.
  • Roll each tortilla tightly, making sure you roll across your strips of filling, to ensure each ingredient appears in every piece. Cut the rolled tortillas into pieces. The curved end pieces can be a little messy, so if you need your tortilla roll-ups to be particularly neat, you can remove the ends first. I usually get 4-5 good pieces from each tortilla.
    A stuffed tortilla rolled up on a board, cut into pieces.
  • The roll-ups are best served straight away, but if needed you can store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before serving.
    Tex-Mex tortilla roll-ups on a plate.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 5pieces | Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.5g | Protein: 19.7g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10.3g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 1244mg | Potassium: 226mg | Fiber: 7.9g | Sugar: 1.6g | Calcium: 398mg | Iron: 4mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare these tortilla roll-ups in advance?

Ideally, you’ll prepare the roll-ups soon before serving. However, if you’re making them for a party and you want to be ready beforehand, they can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance, and stored in the fridge. They can get a little soggy if left for too long.

Can I make these tortilla roll-ups vegan / gluten-free?

Sure – just customise the ingredients to your own needs (e.g. use your favourite vegan cheese, or your favourite gluten-free tortillas).

🥪 Other Lunch Recipes

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The post Easy Tex-Mex Tortilla Roll-Ups appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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