Aloo Baingan (Eggplant/Aubergine and Potato Curry) may seem like a humble weeknight dish. But when cooked well, it turns into something you can proudly serve to guests. This recipe is easy-to-follow, ready in under an hour, and packed with flavor. Tested to perfection!

Aloo Baingan in a skillet with naan and yogurt on the side

“My first time to try a curry dish but defiantly not the last. This recipe was delicious! My friends loved it, also.  I feel like a gourmet cook. Thank you. “

Jeanie

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Aloo Baingan

Aloo Baingan is a Pakistani & North Indian-style vegan curry made with potatoes (aloo) and eggplant (baingan or brinjal). Though not as glamorous as Baingan Bharta, Aloo Baingan can be just as exciting when made well.

The secret to next-level Aloo Baingan is to pan-sear the eggplant before adding it to the curry. Pan-searing the eggplant elevates the flavor while giving it better texture. That said, you can choose to skip this step if you’re in a hurry. I’ve made this plenty of times without pan-frying and it’s still delicious and perfectly balanced in flavor.

Aloo Baingan Ingredients

This Aloo Baingan recipe requires simple ingredients commonly used in South Asian cooking.

Ingredients for Aloo Baingan on a marbled surface

Here are a few things to note:

  • Eggplant: Choose a small to medium globe variety eggplant. If you’d like, you can also use other varieties of eggplant and adjust the cook time.
    • Indian eggplants (also called baby eggplants) take longer to cook than globe eggplants.
    • Japanese eggplants (the long, slender one) can work here with the same cook time.
  • Spices: This recipe uses familiar spices such as coriander powder, cumin, red chili, turmeric, and black pepper. At the end, we finish off with garam masala or chaat masala for a tangy/chatpata kick.
  • Garlic & ginger: You can either use a food processor to finely chop the garlic & ginger or crush them using a mortar and pestle.
  • Green chili pepper: Use a small Thai chili pepper or half of a Serrano for a medium-spicy curry. You can increase or decrease this amount to adjust heat.
  • Potatoes: I use russet potatoes in this recipe. If you use a different type of potato (such as red potato), you may need to increase cooking time. (For more recipes with potatoes, check out my 10 Pakistani and Indian Aloo (Potato) Recipes.)
Aloo Baingan in a black skillet with a white and wooden handle

How To Make Aloo Baingan

Here’s how to make it in 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Pan-Fry the Eggplant

  • Pan-fry the eggplant in a skillet for 3 minutes on each side, or until you get a nice char to it. (Remember, more browning = more flavor.) You don’t need to fully cook here as it’ll finish off cooking with the potatoes in the curry.
    • If you skip this step, simply place the chopped eggplant in a bowl of water and proceed with the recipe. This helps prevent the eggplant from browning.
Chopped Eggplant/Aubergine on a marbled surface along with a knife
Pan-fried eggplant (aubergine) in a skillet

Step 2: Make the Base of the Curry

  • Sautéing patiently is key here. Make sure the onions are nice and golden before adding the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes until they disintegrate into the curry and oil starts to separate from them. At any point if the masala starts sticking to the bottom, add a splash of water to deglaze the pan. This process gives this curry so much depth. (Trust me, I’ve tried skimping on this and it’s just not the same.)
Chopped yellow onions being sautéd in a skillet.
Browning chopped onions in a skillet
Tomatoes being sautéd in a skillet

Step 3: Cook the Potatoes and Eggplant in the Curry

  • Once you’ve made the base (or masala), add in the potatoes & eggplant and cook until the vegetables are tender. Garnish & serve!
Eggplant and potatoes ready to be cooked in a skillet

How long to Cook Eggplant in Aloo Baingan

Because of its high water content, I find eggplant is best slightly mushy or disintegrated into a curry (just like zucchini). Otherwise, the eggplant oozes out too much water in the finished curry. I know some people would prefer it more in tact, which is why I thought this quick table would help.

Preferred Texture of EggplantWhen to Add Pan-Seared EggplantEggplant Cook Time
Completely mushy/Bharta-likeAdd along with the potatoes25-30 minutes
Mostly mushy with some pieces intactAdd 10 minutes after adding the potatoes (what this recipe calls for)15-18 minutes
Slightly mushy with most pieces intactAdd 15 minutes after adding the potatoes10-12 minutes
Aubergine and potato curry in a bowl

How to make this Aloo Baingan in an Instant Pot

I’ve tested this recipe several times in the Instant Pot and I’ve found the results are better over the stovetop. Here’s why:

As I mentioned earlier, the eggplant contains lots of water, which is all contained in the Instant Pot. After you pressure cook it, you’ll be left with plenty of water that you’ll have to sauté out. This makes for excessively mushy eggplant. If you’re okay with that, here’s how you’ll make it in the IP:

  1. Press Sauté on your Instant Pot and set to More. Once the IP turns to ‘Hot’, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds and onions. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, until the onions are golden.
  2. Deglaze with 2 tbsp of water and ensure no bits are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the chopped tomatoes, green chili pepper, all spice powders, and salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until tomatoes are softened.
  3. Add the eggplant and potatoes and stir to mix. Cancel sauté, close the lid and move pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook and set the pressure level to High, with a cooking time set to 3 minutes.
  4. When pressure-cooking is complete, quick-release the steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Select Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot, then carefully open the pot. Add green chili pepper and the finishing oil. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until no excess water remains and the oil starts to separate from the curry.

For more tips on cooking with the Instant Pot, check out my guide on How To Use The Instant Pot For Indian And Pakistani Cooking. If you are in search of more Pakistani Instant Pot recipes, take a look at my collection of 15+ Pakistani Instant Pot Recipes.

A close up of Eggplant and Potato Curry in a skillet

Tips For Making Aloo Baingan

  • The masala will initially taste salty, but potatoes and eggplant can take plenty of salt. You’ll find it’ll balance out toward the end. If you find it’s a tad too salty, add a bit of plain, whole-milk yogurt.
  • Variations:
    • Add 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain) while pan-frying the eggplant to give it extra flavor.
    • Pan-fry the potatoes before adding them to the curry (just like the eggplant).

What To Serve With Aloo Baingan

Since this is a somewhat ‘dry’ curry without much curry/salan, I find it goes best with any type of bread such as roti, naan, or paratha. That said, it’s also quite enjoyable with basmati rice. Plain, whole-milk yogurt or raita offers a cooling contrast to eggplant curries. If you are looking to pair Aloo Baingan with a protein, it would go great with Keema Matar along with either naan or rice.

Half-eaten Aloo Baingan in a skillet with two silver spoons

More Aloo (Potato) Recipes You’ll Love

Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!

Aloo Baingan in a skillet with naan and yogurt on the side
4.98 (45 ratings)

Aloo Baingan – Eggplant and Potato Curry

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Here's an easy Aloo Baingan (Eggplant/Aubergine and Potato Curry) recipe made with simple ingredients you likely have on hand. This is a Pakistani & North Indian-style vegan curry that's tasty enough to serve guests. Tested to perfection!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 small to medium (~450 g) globe variety eggplant, unpeeled
  • ¼ cup neutral oil, plus more for pan-frying the eggplant
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 medium (~245 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 6-7 (~1 tbsp) garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1- inch (~1 tbsp) piece ginger, crushed
  • 2 medium (~300 g) tomatoes (or 3 small), finely chopped
  • 1 small green chili pepper such as Thai or Serrano, sliced
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili powder, or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp kosher salt, or 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 medium (400-450 g) russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into ¾-1” cubes (place in a bowl of water to prevent browning)

Garnish

  • 2 tbsp cilantro leaves, finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp garam masala or chaat masala, optional
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Equipment

  • Heavy-bottomed pan with lid

Instructions 

  • Slice off the stem of the eggplant. Then continue to slice the eggplant widthwise into 3/4 inch-thick rounds. Dice the rounds into 1-inch cubes.
  • Place a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the eggplant in a single layer (you may need to do this in 2 batches) and pan-fry for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Then flip the pieces and pan-fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add oil as needed and distribute as needed because the eggplant has a tendency to absorb oil. Remove onto a plate and set aside. (See Note 1)
  • Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for a few seconds. Add the onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until lightly golden (~8-10 min). Deglaze with 2 tbsp of water.
  • Once the water dries up, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute, until the raw smell disappears and the onions deepen in color. Add the tomatoes, green chili pepper, all spice powders (except garam masala), and salt. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the oil begins to separate from them (~4-5 minutes). If needed, add 2 tbsp of water to deglaze the pan and help the tomatoes disintegrate into the masala.
  • Once the oil has separated from the curry base/masala, add the potatoes. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes to soften. Add 1/2 cup water and stir to mix.
  • Turn the heat down to low-medium, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the pan-fried eggplant (See Note 2) and cook for another 15-17 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it's sticking to the bottom of the pan, deglaze with 1/4 cup of water. The eggplant should get mushy and the potato should be very tender.
  • If needed, raise the heat and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the oil starts to separate again and most of the eggplant has disintegrated into the masala.
  • Adjust salt and seasoning if needed. Turn off the heat and sprinkle in cilantro, garam masala or chaat masala (if using), and lemon juice. Serve hot with roti, naan, or any type of bread.

Notes

Note 1: Pan-searing gives the eggplant more flavor. If you’re in a rush, you can skip this step. 
If you skip pan-searing the eggplant:
  • place the eggplants in a large bowl and fill with water to prevent browning.
  • add the potatoes & eggplant at the same time (Step 5). This will make disintegrated eggplant and in-tact potatoes.
Note 2: This recipe makes mushy eggplant with some pieces in tact. Depending on how mushy or in-tact you prefer the eggplant, you can change up the timings for when to add it/how long to cook it. See post for how long to cook the eggplant if you prefer more in-tact eggplant.
Instant Pot: See post for instructions on how to make Aloo Baingan in an Instant Pot.
Nutrition facts are for 1 serving of the recipe. Total servings for this recipe: 4
Calories: 237kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Sodium: 1176mg, Potassium: 622mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 325IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 2mg
Author: Izzah Cheema
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani