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Eggplant & Lentil Apricot Curry
50 min
Main
Freezer-friendly
Servings
Total
50 minPrep
20 minCook
30 minFree from
soy
peanut
tree nut
sesame
gluten
Ingredients
Roasted eggplant
-
2medium eggplants
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1 tsp (5ml)olive oil
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1 tsp (6g)salt
Curry
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1 cup (200g)uncooked basmati rice
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2 tsp (10ml)vegetable oil
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1medium onion, diced
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3garlic cloves, minced
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2 tsp (4g)ground cumin
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2 tsp (3.8g)ground coriander
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1 tsp (2.6g)ground cinnamon
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1bell pepper, diced
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1⅔ cups (400g)canned diced tomatoes
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1 cup (180g)cooked brown lentils
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¼ cups (32g)dried apricots, diced
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½ tspsalt
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¼ tspground black pepper
Toppings
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¾ cups (195g)unsweetened coconut yogurt
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5fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
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½lemon, cut into wedges
Directions
- Line a baking tray and preheat oven to 390°F (200°C)*.
- Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise and cut cross-hatches into the flesh**.
- Sprinkle each side with oil and salt and rub them in. Place the eggplant on a lined baking tray cut side down, and bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package instructions.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Sauté the onions until soft, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add splashes of water as needed to deglaze the pot.
- Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then remove the pot from the heat.
- Remove the roasted eggplant from the oven. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the soft flesh with a spoon and transfer to the pot. Discard the skin.
- Add the remaining curry ingredients to the pot and heat through until the bell peppers are soft but still crunchy.
- Serve with coconut yogurt, mint, and a squeeze of lemon juice overtop. Enjoy!
Notes
- * We used top and bottom heating (not fan-assisted/convection).
- ** To reduce the bitterness of mature eggplants, optionally soak the scored eggplant in a saltwater solution (2 tsp salt per litre of water) for 10 - 15 minutes. Then drain, rinse, and pat dry. Skip this step for smaller eggplants or those with few seeds.
Storage
- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Let us know what you think
Watch it step-by-step!
Plate method
The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.
Grains & Starches 15%
• uncooked basmati rice
Proteins 5%
• cooked brown lentils
Fruits & Veggies 80%
• medium eggplant
• medium onion
• garlic clove
• bell pepper
• canned diced tomatoes
• dried apricot
• fresh mint leaves
• lemon
Calcium
• unsweetened coconut yogurt
Fat
• olive oil
• vegetable oil
Nutrition info
Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.
Leave a comment
This is such a lovely recipe but when we sat down to eat it, we suddenly found it was lacking curry powder? I double checked the recipe and still couldn’t see it- not sure if this was a mistake or if it’s meant to be like that, but a little bit of spice would definitely add to this recipe! 😊
A lovely change of pace from the flavor profiles of other curries I’ve made, and I bet it will be even better tomorrow. I subbed dried cherries and raisins for the apricots. I also used chickpeas instead of lentils. Next time I’ll do a better job of making the recipe as written :)
I agree with other reviewers- the lemon and mint do a lot of great work in this dish!
Flavorful dish! Note: If you desire to match the photograph to use red bell pepper.
I made this last night. It was fine, but not very interesting. I do see so many positive reviews so I recommend trying it for yourself!
Only tweak I made was that I left the eggplant in the oven for about 10 more minutes as mine was not ready after 10 minutes (in hindsight 40 minutes would have been best!)
Also, I don't think the dried apricots made that much of a difference, and in my country they are very expensive so if that is the case I'd say it's fine to leave them out.
Thank you for the recipe!
I made this with some courgette pancakes. Added some fresh koriander. It’s true the lemon, mint and yoghurt all give there own taste and together it’s so tasty 😋🤩
I had been eyeing this recipe and wanting to make it forever…Finally did a few nights ago and it is DELICIOUS! (Unanimously felt from everyone at dinner that night , btw:) Thank you, Sadia and PUL…another one for the win! (And also, a thank you from my mum to your mom on the salt water bath trick for eggplants 😊)
This curry is simple to make, and yet the flavour is so complex and satisfying 😌. It is a joy to experience how the flavours of each component build up and bloom, and I completely agree with the previous reviewers that the toppings are almost mandatory.
The eggplants were a bit tricky, because they needed more time in the oven than anticipated. I will definitely follow the advice to put the crossed side towards the baking tray (thank you PUL)
It was so delicious! Unfortunatelly I have to replace egglpant with zucchini but it worked wery well. Thank you for the nutritious and yummy dish!
Very tasty curry! Thank you for this recipe!
Another hit from the app! Love how quick it comes together after roasting the eggplant and the apricots make it so much fun to eat! I prefer it with naan or even any other kind of bread over rice. I'm adding this to my list of staple recipes to make, thank you for another easy and satisfying recipe!
20 minutes wasn’t long enough for the eggplant that I used. Should have cooked longer.
Great combination of different tastes and textures. Great way to get more eggplant on the menu :)
This was amazing, I really loved the flavours and textures! We had to use red lentils instead which worked very well. I am usually not a big fan of coconut yoghurt, but I agree with previous comments and in combination with mint and lemon, this was really exceptional! Thank you!
I love this recipe and have made it several times. So easy and so tastie. Serve with some naan and dinner is ready!
I made this dish last week and absolutely loved it! Such a simple yet flavorful recipe. I served it over (chickpea) couscous. Didn’t have any mint at home but reading all the reviews now I‘ll make sure to add the mint when I make it next time.
Absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe to the gram. The coconut yogurt, mint & lemon are highly recommended, it really does bring it all flavours together.
Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe!
Hello Sadia and team,
I've been following your videos and website for a few years now. Love your work! I tried this recipe tonight and it turned out great, very wholesome and tasty! I added a little bit of Italian parley along with the mint.
Thank you for all your work and such wonderful recipes! Hello too from a fellow Canadian!
I made this when the YouTube video dropped and found it INCREDIBLE. I spontaneously think about this recipe every few months and am never disappointed when I make it 🤗
Quite good! My store was out of mint and I accidentally bought favored yogurt. 🤣 I also used brown basmati rice as that's what I had in the house. Next time I definitely want to try with those additions!
I had so much fun making this meal. It was so nourishing and I loved the savory met with the apricot🙌🏾
I love eggplants! I find that they're quite unappreciated vegetables and I was very eager to try this recipe. I wasn't disappointed, the flavors work so well together and the addition of fresh mint leaves and yogurt on top makes it a great summer dish. I'm hoping for many more eggplant recipes on the app 😉 (Android user)
i've made a ton of recipes from PUL over the past two years, but this one is probably my absolute favorite. reminded me of my mom's cooking (much needed as a student living far away from home).
Wonderful, as usual! Thank you!
Hi, I was thinking to replace maybe half or so of the lentils with something else to make this lower FODMAP. Do you have any suggestions (maybe another vegetable or tofu)?
SO good!! I made this with mung beans, used some frozen fresh coconut because I didn't have coconut yogurt, and sped up the process by using some jarred pre-fire-roasted eggplant (shoutout to my local Turkish store for all these ingredients). I love the combination of sweet and savory. Now very inspired to try more curries/stews that use dried fruit.
Hi, could I do this with yellow split pigeon pea lentils instead of brown?
I loved it! I skipped dry apricots and paprika (I simply didn't have any of those) and it tasted great :) I also want to mention that the website design is very pleasing to the eye, especially all these small beautiful details. I can imagine it took a lot of effort to establish the final design. So I feel like it's worth being complimented on. I also really appreciate your youtube channel. Since I am trying to switch to a more plant-based diet, your recipes inspire and help me a lot.
Lots of love. Wish you and the PUL team a great day!
I tried this recipe and and I love it! Apart from the time needed to bake the eggplants, it comes together very quickly 🙂 Thanks Pick up Limes!
Absolutely love this recipe and keep coming back to it. Love the apricots, and it's absolutely heavenly with the coconut yogurt and mint!
This meal was yummy. Loved the apricot sweetness. Not sure if it's just me but I made one of the other curry recipes on here and the prep time seems way off. Not sure if it doesn't include cutting and slicing time but it usually always takes me double the time that is listed which makes a big difference in the amount of time I need to set aside for cooking.
Love it.... made it several times and it always wasxa success.
Really really tasty! 🤩
I did this today! I didn’t have apricots so I used dates and it worked out just perfectly ! Thank you 😊
Absolutely delicious. My partner LOVED this and I did as well. I used fresh apricots, but I love the suggestion to add raisins. I'll add that for sure!
Would fresh apricots be just as good as dried apricots?
Hi! I tried and it was so good. My husband doesn't like it very much curries and this one he liked. Thanks!
Yummy! And very easy to make!
I've made this recipe so many times with a few tweaks depending on what I have in the pantry, I've found raisins work really nicely as a substitute for the dried apricot. Thanks so much for your delicious inspiration! :)
This meal is so delicious. I have made it a couple of times. 5 stars for taste. The only down side for me is it does take longer than 40 minutes. However, that could just be because I am slow when it comes to chopping.
Eggplants are one of my favorite vegetables - so thanks for giving me a new way to use them! I'm such a fan of the sweetness the apricots bring to this curry. Yum!
Would it work to add coconut milk to this to make it more saucy/creamy? If so, when would I add it and would you recommend adding any extra spices? Thanks!
I loooove this recipe! This evening I made it for the second time and it was delicious. Just be careful: the roasted eggplant is extremely tasteful, so make sure you don't eat it all, before adding it to the curry haha :p I didn't soak the eggplants in a water bath, and I used zucchini instead of red bell peppers, but it was still delicious. Thank you!
One of our all-time favourites!
It was delicious:-) Thank you!
So, I had to make some changes, just because I love to play with my taste buds. Anyway, I used cremini mushrooms, I reduced lentil amount by a lot, and I reduced the amount of canned tomatoes. It came out fantastic! The idea of eggplant with apricots is good. I also used Indian small eggplants, very delicious. I found you through Nisha on YouTube, I saw that you are from Afghanistan. I am actually from Kyrgyzstan 🙂. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
One of my top 3 favorite recepies from this delicious site <3
What would you switch the bell pepper for ? I can't stand the taste. I know it's completly different but what about zucchini ? Going to try this next week! Thanks !
delicious !! I doubled the apricots & added a tsp of date nectar, thank you for the recipe :)
Lovely recipe ! I am usually not a big fan of lentils but here it works great :) i also love the combination of the vegetables with the apricots. Very interesting !!
Amazing! This is now probably my favourite curry recipe. Thank you!
This looks incredible! Is there a way to make this recipe stove-top friendly?
I am sadly lacking an oven, and wonder how I could achieve the creamy roasting eggplants without it. Is there a specific reason to not include the skin? Would peeling them then stir fry them be still alright?
Thanks in advance :)
Amazing recipe! So many flavours! I just love it! Everybody I made this dish for found it incredible. Thank you for sharing it with us ❤️
Loved it! No faulty recipe! Thank you for sharing!
This was aaaamaaaaziiiiiinggggg!!!
It’s gonna be my new go to curry reciepe.
Thank you for sharing it!
Thanks to your tip about letting the eggplants soak in salted water first, this dish came out great!
Hello, lovely people!
I made this dish today. I wanted something different for my lentils, I had two small eggplants. I was a little bit reluctant about the spices, but it turned out discovering an unique, exotic taste.
I had some problems on cooking the eggplants. I read the other comments, so I take into consideration your tips next time.
I didn't have any fresh mint but the dry one is strong (from the bio countryside 😌) so it completed the flavors.
Again, I'm so glad I've "met" you! Thank you for sharing this with us!! Your recipes boost our cooking habits.
🤗
Great recipe, love this dish, cooked many times ! Thank you for sharing ! I aded also dry mango, delicious as well !
Delicious
This is such a great recipe! We have enjoyed it many times. Any ideas why the eggplant took longer than the 20 minutes? Maybe not enough oil? Thanks again for your great work! I love the website! :-)
Love this dish and cook it all the time!
I wish I could give this recipe a 3.5 rating. It was good but just nothing special for the time that it took to make it. I have no idea who could make this recipe in 25 minutes but I went straight through without stopping and it took one solid hour. I doubled the seasoning which I think helped some but it still seemed to be missing something. I also added in nearly double the amount of diced apricots but still couldn't detect the sweetness. The mint and lemon made a big difference and really kicked up the flavor though! Also, it would help if the written recipe followed the video. The video says to soak the eggplant in salt water but doesn't tell you for how long and the recipe doesn't state anything about soaking or the time. It's minor and I just guessed and it came out fine but it was frustrating not to have that information.
This recipe is so easy and so tasty. I love eggplants!
Made this last week with homegrown eggplant (yay, eggplant season!). My mother brought over a zucchini from her garden so I added that to the mix, too. Overall, I think this is great as is, although I ended up adding maybe 1/2 tsp of curry powder since I was just craving some additional curry spices in the mix. Definitely add the yogurt, lemon juice and mint as suggested. It really elevates the flavors. Thanks for a great recipe!
I just love this recipe. I’ve made it multiple times. The combination of apricots, eggplant and tomato is so delicious.
I'm normally not a lentil fan, but I absolutely love this dish. Already made this a couple of times. Can't wait for winter to make this again!
Have made this a couple of times now and loved it! It’s such a fresh flavour and is perfect for left over lunch as it’s not too heavy. My non vegan father absolutely loved it too.
This is such a good recipe with plenty of somehow luxurious feeling flavours. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a hint of sweetness in savoury dishes.
Loved this recipe, also worked well with prunes when we were out of apricots. Nutritious, filling, and flavourful!
The flavor wasn't as vibrant as I wanted it to be. May it's because I used dried lentils and it soaked up too much of the flavor and liquid?
Absolutely delicious! I halfed the cumin and coriander and it was still very very tasty. I love how the apricots bring sweetness to this dish. And it’s interesting how the eggplant acts as a meat replacement for the consistency. I will share and definitely make again. Thank you.
Super yummy! I didn't have apricots, so I substituted green raisins and added some coconut milk for extra creaminess.
This is very delicious, for me for about two days!
Hello, I am currently on a low FODMAP diet right now. This recipe looks yummy, but I see some garlic as well as dried apricots... Is there any low FODMAP adjustments you would advise?
I tried this recipe and was a bit underwhelmed in terms of flavour. I found it a bit bland, even after I added more spices and would definitely suggest to do that too. It still tasted fine, just nothing I feel like I have to try again :) (I missed the sweet note from the apricots, maybe should have added more than suggested)
I've been trying your dishes for some time now, and it all works so well! Thank you for sharing. My Saturday routine has been to check your videos, pick one recipe, shop for the ingredients and try something new and wonderful. It's been great. Lots of love from Brazil!
This was so good! I used extra cinnamon as my cinnamon was a little bit old so not as flavoursome. Really good gluten free meal & very filling. Thanks for the recipe :)
this is such a flavorful delicious dish, we love it.
I just made this yesterday and omgoodness! It is sooo flavorful and yummy! I've been resistant to using salt, but I finally decided I should listen to you and boy does salt make all the difference 🙃 Thank you for your all that you do Sadia!! I've been watching your videos for about 4 years (can't believe it's been that long!) and I always get a thrill when I see you've posted a new video. Much love from the US! 🥰