Kidney Bean and Eggplant Peanut Curry
This kidney bean curry is packed with hearty beans, silky eggplant, and creamy peanut butter to make an easy and flavorful plant-based meal.
Why We Love This Kidney Bean Curry
- Dairy-Free but Rich and Creamy: Peanut butter makes this curry thick, creamy, and extra satisfying.
- High Protein: 20 grams of plant-based protein per serving thanks to kidney beans and peanut butter!
- Easy to Make in One Pot: It all comes together in one pot so clean up is quick and easy!
- Gluten-Free or Plant-Based Whole30 Friendly: With a simple swap, this curry can easily be made gluten-free or Plant-Based Whole30 compatible to suit various allergies/dietary needs.
- Complete Meal: Just add rice, pita, or naan and this curry will be a complete meal since it has protein, fiber, healthy fats, and 2-3 servings of vegetables (depending on the size of your eggplant) per serving.
Key Ingredients
- Eggplant ⟶ I like to use globe/American eggplants since they hold their shape better in stews than Chinese/Japanese varieties do. However, they do have a more bitter flavor, so be sure to soak them in salted water then cook them separately (until very soft) before adding to the curry.
- Kidney Beans ⟶ I make a lot of curries with chickpeas and lentils, but for this recipe I decided to try kidney beans. Their flavor and texture are perfect in this curry!
- Peanut Butter ⟶ To make the curry extra creamy and satisfying.
- Spices ⟶ Cumin seeds, coriander, turmeric, red chili powder, black pepper, and garam masala pack this curry with tons of flavor.
- Tomato Paste ⟶ I always like to add a little bit of tomato paste to my curries for some underlying umami flavor. Tomato pairs really well with all the spices too.
Tips for Success
Soak eggplant in salted water ⟶ Unless you’re using really fresh, tasty eggplants, I recommend soaking them before cooking to help remove any astringency (the water will turn slightly brown). The salt will help pull some moisture out of the eggplants as well, making them softer and cook faster.
Mix peanut butter with water ⟶ Thin the peanut butter with water (about twice as much water as peanut butter) before adding to the curry. This helps the peanut butter mix into the curry better.
Add garam masala at the end ⟶ I like to add garam masala at the end for the best flavor and aroma. If you add it with the other spices at the beginning of cooking, its flavor won’t be as apparent in the final dish.
Kidney Bean Curry FAQ
More Easy and Delicious Curries!
- Chickpea Spinach Curry
- Tempeh and Chickpea Peanut Curry
- Creamy Kabocha Lentil Curry
- Japanese Curry with Red Lentils
- Red Lentil Green Curry
If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
Kidney Bean and Eggplant Peanut Curry
Ingredients
Spices
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- ¾ tsp ground coriander
- ¾ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp
red chili powder*1 - ¼ tsp black pepper
Curry
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 globe eggplant
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce2
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 cups kidney beans
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup water
- 4 cups spinach chopped
To Finish
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½-1 tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp salt or more to taste
- handful of cilantro
Instructions
- Mix spices together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Chop eggplant (you can peel the skin if you'd like) and place in a large bowl of water. Mix in 1/2 tsp salt and soak for 10 minutes.
- Drain eggplants and pat dry.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pot over medium heat. Add eggplants and pan fry until soft, stirring occasionally. Remove eggplant from the pan.
- Add remaining 1/2 tbsp oil to the pot. Add onions and a pinch of salt. Sauté until onions start to brown.
- Add garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add spices and stir for 1 minute.
- Add tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds to briefly toast.
- Add eggplants and stir until well combined.
- Add water, soy sauce, sugar, and beans. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Whisk peanut butter and water together until smooth.
- Add spinach and peanut butter mixture to the curry. Continue simmering until spinach wilts.
- Turn off heat and stir in lime juice, garam masala, salt, and cilantro. Taste and add more lime juice/salt/sugar as desired.
Notes
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