Malabar Eggplant (Crispy Eggplant with Spiced Coconut sauce. gluten-free)

Malabar eggplant — crispy eggplant in a shredded coconut red chili curry sauce — is a delicious introduction to the deep flavors of South Indian Malabar cuisine. Serve it with naan or flatbread and some dal for a veggie-packed meal that’s also packed with flavor!

Some veggies can be difficult to like when made simply. Eggplant is one of those. This Malabar eggplant is packed with flavor and texture and is very versatile. You can bake the eggplant or pan fry it. And you can even use other veggies instead, like cauliflower.

South Indian Malabar cuisine is a mix of multiple regional cuisines in Southern India. It’s heavily influenced by coastal and Kerala cuisine along with the many other nearby areas, because of the region being a major trade route. Kerala was considered “the spice garden of the ancient world,” because it produced flavorful spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, and pepper.

Trade, migration, and invasion brought influences from Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Malaysian, and other cuisines to Malabar region(north kerala region).

If you want to explore Malabar cuisine further, also check out my Malabar veggie curry

But back to this eggplant.

The other day I had lots of eggplant on hand, so I decided to make a Malabar-style eggplant , the sauce of which is inspired from crisp and spiced Malabar Chikin recipes. Usually I use cauliflower in this recipe, but you can basically use whichever vegetable you have handy. All of the flavor is in the batter, and that batter is super delicious. After battering and baking or frying the veggies, you toss them in this easy sauce and serve with some tofu curry or dal. You can also replace half the eggplant with tofu to ale this into a meal!

The sauce for Malabar eggplant is on the dry side. If you want to make the dish saucier, you can add in some coconut milk. The sauce can also be rather hot, so adjust as needed based on your heat preference.

🍆 Why You’ll Love Malabar Eggplant

• melt-in-your-mouth eggplant coated in a flavorful, crispy-crunchy batter
• incredibly shredded coconut curry sauce with option to make it even saucier!
• versatile! Make it with eggplant or cauliflower or protein like tofu or seitan or soycurls and adjust flavors and textures to taste.
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

Ingredients and Substitutions

• eggplant – Use any type of eggplant you like, and cut it into 3/4″ to 1″ cubes. Or use half eggplant and 7 oz pressed and cubed tofu
• rice flour – Give the batter such a crispy texture when cooked!
• cornstarch – For even more crispy crunch and to help the batter stick to the eggplant
• spices – Chopped curry leaves and cilantro along with garam masala, garlic powder, Kashmiri chili powder, and black pepper all season the batter. For the sauce, you’ll use mustard seeds, dried red chillies, more curry leaves, and more Kashmiri chili powder.
• green chili – A chopped Serrano pepper adds heat to the batter.
• oil – To add moisture and crispness to the batter and to saute.
• onion – Adds umami to the sauce.
• shredded coconut – Gives the sauce richness and texture. Use fresh or dried
• garnishes – Top the dish off with cilantro, green onion, and lime juice.

How to Make Malabar Eggplant

Chop the eggplant, if you haven’t already, and then soak it in four or five cups of water with a teaspoon of salt, so that the eggplant doesn’t brown, and it will crisp up better when you pan fry or bake it.

Add the rice flour, cornstarch, chili, herbs, spices, and salt to a bowl and mix well. Then, add the oil and 1/4 cup of water. Mix well, adding more water a tablespoon at a time until you have a smooth batter that’s slightly more loose than a paste. Then, add the eggplant to the bowl, and toss well to coat. If the batter is too thick to coat the eggplant, you can sprinkle in more water while mixing, so that it coats the eggplant really well.

To Bake:  Spread the eggplant on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 415° F (213° C) for 15 to 20 minutes.
To Pan Fry: Add 2 teaspoons of oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the eggplant and cook until most of the edges of the eggplant are crisp and golden, and the insides are cooked. Be sure to flip occasionally and get all sides of the cubes cooked and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. 

Add the teaspoon of oil to the skillet over medium heat, and once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Let them start to pop, then break the red chilies in half and add them to the skillet. Add the curry leaves, as well, and mix quickly, then add the onion and a good pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is translucent, 4-6 minutes. Stir occasionally. Then mix in the Kashmiri chili powder and coconut, and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Fold in the baked or pan-fried eggplant. You can also add splashes of lime juice, if the skillet is drying out too much. Top with the green onion, cilantro, and lime juice, and serve this immediately as a side or as an appetizer with flatbread, naan, or tortillas.