This Eggplant Tofu Curry is my newest obsession! The perfect combination of heavenly spiced creamy sauce, juicy eggplant pieces and deliciously fried tofu. Usually I’m deep set on Red or Massaman Curry but this Eggplant Tofu Curry just immediately won me over with its stunning spice blend and flavors. Although I’m not the biggest fan of fennel as a whole, I’m loving the addition of fennel seeds to this one!
I’m always looking for fun ways to eat more eggplant as I’m obsessed with the taste and texture of its ‘meat’ and this curry hits the nail! The trick for the perfect texture is to first bake the eggplant to remove some initial moisture and then continue to cook it until mushy.
If you decide to give this Eggplant Tofu Curry a try, let me know! Leave a comment and rate it – it’s so helpful to me and other readers. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag me (@thetastyk) and #thetastyk on Instagram! I love seeing what you come up with. Love and enjoy! ♥
- 2 large eggplants, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1-2 Tbsp (20ml) olive oil, for brushing
- pinch of rough salt
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- 14oz (400g) tofu, diced
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) sunflower oil
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- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
- 1.5 Tbsp fennel seeds
- 1.5 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 medium white onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 green chili pepper, diced
- 14oz (400ml) coconut milk
- 1 cup (250ml) water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- fresh coriander, for serving
- Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spread the eggplant cubes on it, brush with olive oil and sprinkle rough salt on top. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, flipping half way through.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the tofu cubes on all sides until golden brown for 3-4 minutes, then take off the heat and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until golden, the add the garlic, ginger, chili and sauté another minute. Scrape aside and add the fennel and coriander seeds and fry a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add the coconut milk, water and eggplants and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the fried tofu and cook another 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and fresh coriander for serving and enjoy with your favorite rice.

I was wondering what type of tofu you used….do you think this can be made in advance. I cook a meal for an adventure race and feed veg/gluten free and carnivores…thinking for the meat eaters I can sub chicken for the tofu;….would love to hear bk…thanks
Hey! 🙂 You can def make this in advance! I sometimes make a double batch to keep us good for a few days! Just keep it in the fridge or freeze it and make the rice fresh. I just use regular firm tofu from the Asia market and squeeze out a little bit of the water.
I was wondering what type of curry powder you use? Do you make your own?
Simple store-bought organic curry powder 🙂
I tried this last night and IMO the fennel seeds overpowered the whole curry and made it really hard to eat…
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy it 🙁 you definitely need to like fennel as the seeds in general have a quite rich flavor. For me I’ve found it to be the perfect balance between coriander and fennel seeds but tastes are so different.. Did you like the overall composition of the curry though? Then maybe just half the fennel seeds amount for next time