Instant Pot Masala Eggplant Curry. Pressure cooked Indian Baghare baingan. Stuffed Baby Eggplant / Brinjal Curry. Vegan Glutenfree Soyfree Recipe Add some chickpeas or cooked beans to make into a meal. Serve with flatbread or rice.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Glutenfree, Indian, Vegan

Ingredients

Stuffing Masala:

  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 to 3 tbsp chickpea flour or besan
  • 2 tbsp chopped nuts (such as peanuts or cashews)
  • 2 tbsp coconut shreds
  • 1 to 1.5 inch ginger (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1 hot green chile (chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • a pinch of cinnamon
  • 1/3 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp raw sugar (jaggery or sweetener)
  • 1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp lime or lemon juice
  • water as needed

Curry:

  • 4 to 6 baby eggplants
  • 1 cup water
  • cilantro (coconut and garam masala for garnish)

Method

Instant Pot:

  1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat or heat the instant pot over saute. Add coriander, cumin and mustard seeds and cook for 2 mins or until the coriander seeds change color.
  2. Add chickpea flour and mix well. Cook for a min. Add the nuts and coconut and mix well. Roast for 1-2 mins until fragrant. Cool the mixture for a minute then transfer to a small blender or small food processor.
  3. Process/blend to coarsely grind.
  4. Add ginger, garlic, chile, lime/lemon and the rest of the ground spices and pulse to make a coarse mixture. Add a tsp or so water until the mixture easily sticks. The mixture is a small amount so you will need a small blender. Alternatively, transfer the dry spice nut mixture from earlier step to a bowl. Add finely chopped ginger, garlic, chile, rest of the ground spices, and mix in. Add lemon and water and mix and make a coarse pasty mixture.
  5. Make cross cuts on the eggplant, not all the way through so the whole eggplant stays put. Fill the stuffing into the cross cut. See pics above.
  6. Place the eggplants in an instant pot or pressure cooker. Add 1 cup or more water and 1/4 tsp salt. At this point you can also add in a cup of cooked chickpeas or other beans. Pressure cook for 3 to 5 mins depending on the size of the eggplants. Let the pressure release naturally. Garnish with coconut, cilantro and garam masala and serve with flatbread/roti or rice.

Saucepan:

  1. At the last step, place the stuffed eggplants in a skillet or shallow saucepan with a lid. Add 1.5 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and ook over medium heat for 18 to 22 mins or until tender to preference.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.