A one pot simple weeknight Thai Red Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers comes together in about 30 minutes and is freezer friendly. It’s made in one pot with zesty prepared red curry paste and coconut milk. Make yours with tofu or chickpeas! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. 
Pantry Ingredients for Thai Eggplant Curry
Ingredients I always tend to have on hand: curry paste, coconut milk, fresh ginger, garlic, and onions. This is the base of Thai curry, forever adaptable and such a flavorful way to use those lingering veggies in the fridge. However, it’s gotta have lots of ginger and garlic as the base so that the flavors pop!
Have I told you how much I adore eggplant? It’s truly a vegetable I have complete heart eyes for, and although roasted is my favorite, stir-fried in curry is not far behind.
This Thai Red Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers couldn’t be simpler to make.
Related: Love red curry? Give my Thai Mushroom Pumpkin Curry Recipe a go!
At a Glance: How to Make this Thai Eggplant Recipe
Weeknight simple, this Thai Red Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers is full of flavor and interesting textures.
- First, choose chickpeas or baked tofu to include in the recipe. Press and bake the tofu if using.
- Second, grate the garlic and ginger. Chop the veggies into bite size pieces.
- Third, put some Jasmine rice on to cook.
- Next, sauté the eggplant and onion in a bit of coconut oil to soften, then add the sweet peppers. Stir in the garlic and ginger, red curry paste, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar.
- Last, deglaze the pot with broth and coconut milk. Stir in the tofu or cooked chickpeas. Simmer, then stir in a squeeze of lime juice and a few tablespoons of Tamari.
By the time the curry is done, the rice is ready! Garnishing this Thai Red Curry with sesame seeds and Thai basil is a delicious way to add a little beauty, texture and flavor to this dish.
Find more weeknight dinners like this one in my 35-Minute Vegetarian Dinners recipe collection.
Traci’s Tips
- Eggplant: look for Globe, Italian or Japanese eggplant. I like Globe (pictured above) because that’s what the farms grow here. Choose an eggplant with smooth, shiny skin, a firm texture and with a green stem (no browning or mushyness).
- Bell Peppers: use any color of sweet peppers you like. Red and yellow tend to be sweeter than green. They’re all good!
- How Spicy? this recipe calls for 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes (chili flakes), for a spicy of about 4. Another pinch should take it up to a 5! Remember there’s spice in the red curry paste too.
Thai Red Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 oz (397 grams) Firm Tofu, pressed for 20-30 minutes and drained (*see notes for chickpea option)
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
- 1 pound (450 grams) Globe Eggplant, Sliced into 1/2" cubes
- 1 cup (165 grams) Yellow Onion, medium dice, about 1 medium onion
- 2 cups (260 grams) Sweet Bell Peppers, medium dice, green, yellow or red - or a mix, about two peppers
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Garlic, microplaned
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, microplaned
- 2 tablespoons Red Curry Paste
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, optional - about a spicy 4 with it!
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar, or maple syrup, or to taste
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) Vegetable Broth
- 1 13 1/2 ounce (403 grams) Can of Coconut Milk, full fat
- 2 tablespoons Tamari
- 1/2 Lime, juiced
Serve With: Thai basil, lime wedges, sesame seeds, cilantro and jasmine rice.
Instructions
For The Tofu:
- While pressing the tofu (see notes for chickpea sub)** preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Slice the pressed/drained tofu into (about) 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) cubes and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. This will dry the tofu out. Set aside.
For the Curry:
- In a large Dutch oven, add the coconut oil and heat until it shimmers. Turn the heat to medium high and add the eggplant and onion. Stir fry for about 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. It's okay of the eggplant sticks a bit.
- Stir in the bell peppers and stir fry for about one minute, just to soften a bit. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot - the garlic and ginger will start to stick. Add the curry paste and red pepper flakes. Take a big inhale..... ahhhh.
- Cook, stirring for a minute more, coating the vegetables with the paste. Stir in the brown sugar and deglaze the pot with broth and coconut milk. Stir in the tofu or chickpeas. Bring to a simmer, turn to low and cook for about 10 minutes just until heated through. Stir in the Tamari and lime juice.
- Remove from heat and spoon over rice. Top with Thai basil, cilantro, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with additional Tamari and lime wedges.
- Store in a lidded container for up to three days or up to two weeks in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight and gently rewarm on the stovetop.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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Just tried this recipe and it turned out terrific. Good enough that my picky husband had seconds! I went straight to the recipe without the suggestions before the recipe. Wondered a bit about what size to cut the peppers, but decided to just go with the flow and cut them into 1 inch cubes. Worked fine. Didn’t have any Thai basil but used cilantro from the garden.
Best news ever, Tina! Thank you for your note. I’ll clarify diced peppers (thank you for that!). Cilantro from the garden is perfect!
Excellent! If blazingly hot is not your thing, it’s worth taking time to balance out the taste with fish sauce, sugar, citrus, soy sauce.