Eggplant Mushroom Curry

I thoroughly enjoy eating curries. They can be quite easy and quick to make, and you can cover many of the food groups in just one dish. I got inspired to make this dish after I ate something similar at a local restaurant. It’s something that I’ve eaten there a few times, and what I love most about it is that it never quite tastes the same. I learned why this is after my last visit when I tried desperately to get the chef to reveal his recipe. He said he had nothing for me. The base ingredients of eggplants and mushrooms always remain the same, but as for the rest, well it just depends on what he has most readily available. Anyways, after a few attempts, here is my rendition of his eggplant mushroom curry.

Contrary to many curry recipes and unlike most of those found inside the cookbook, this curry doesn’t contain any meat or fish. It’s still very filling though and contains good amounts of good fats from the coconut milk. Mushrooms are especially great at giving a meaty texture to the dish. You can of course choose to add meat to it, but it tastes great on its own. Considering that protein is very often overrated and that the best macronutrients to eat in large quantities are saturated and monounsaturated fat as well as healthy non-toxic sources of carbohydrate, it’s a healthy choice to eat meals without meat from time to time. Animal protein is healthy, but we don’t need that much for optimal function and consuming more then what’s needed can be counterproductive. Of course, if you’re on a ketogenic diet, you’ll need more animal protein to cover for the needed glucose. For a more in-depth look at the optimal macronutrient ratios to consume, refer to my article on the question of macronutrient ratios.

The following Paleo curry recipe is very quick to prepare and tastes absolutely amazing. The blend of vegetables and spices seems to be a match made in heaven and you’ll see why when you’ll taste the final dish.

Eggplant mushroom curry recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 5 small eggplants (you could use two large ones, but I find it much easier to make more or less of the recipe when using the small ones);
• 4 oz (1/4 lb) white mushrooms, quatered;
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, clarified butter or other paleo cookking fat;
• 2 green onions, finely chopped;
• 2 cloves garlic, minced;
• 1 red chili pepper (optional depending on how spicy you’d like the final dish to be);
• ½ tsp chili powder;
• 1 tsp ground cumin;
• 1 tsp ground coriander;
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric;
• 4 very ripe tomatoes, diced;
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped;
• 1/3 cup coconut milk;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F. While the oven heats up, wrap each eggplant in aluminum foil. Place in the oven and cook for 50 minutes to an hour.
2. Remove the eggplants from the oven and let cool.
3. After the eggplants are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and spoon out the flesh. Discard the skin and keep the flesh in a bowl. Using a fork, break apart the flesh to ensure that there are no large chunks. Put aside for later use.
4. In a large skillet over a medium heat, saute garlic in the cooking fat. Allow it to cook for about two minutes, until fragrant.
5. Add the green onion, chili pepper and mushrooms to the skillet. Saute for about 5 minutes.
6. Add all the spices to the skillet. Stir well and cook for about 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender.
8. Add the eggplant puree, followed by the cilantro and coconut milk. Continue cooking for about 8 minutes, to allow the flavors to blend.

Serve on its own or over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.