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Gluten Free Vegetarian

Vegan Curry Eggplant and Potato (Baigan & Aloo)

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This dish is a staple in many Caribbean households, combining the creamy texture of eggplant with the hearty bite of potatoes. Seasoned with a blend of spices and herbs, it’s a flavorful and satisfying meal that’s perfect for any day of the week.

Eggplant and potato dish in a pan on the stove with a wooden spoon resting on top

Ingredient Guide

  • Eggplant (Baigan): A versatile vegetable that absorbs flavors well. When cooked, it becomes tender and adds a creamy texture to the dish.
  • Potato (Aloo): Adds heartiness and balances the softness of the eggplant. Choose a starchy variety for the best texture.
  • Caribbean Green Seasoning: A blend of herbs and spices including scallions, thyme, garlic, and parsley. Adds depth and authentic Caribbean flavor.
  • Pimento Pepper: Also known as seasoning pepper, it provides a mild heat and fruity flavor.
  • Habanero Pepper: A fiery chili pepper common in Caribbean cuisine. Use with caution, and remove seeds to reduce heat.
  • Ginger: Adds a warm, spicy note that complements the other flavors.

Shopping Made Easy

  • Eggplant: Available at most grocery stores. Look for firm, glossy skin.
  • Potatoes: Common in all supermarkets. Yukon Gold or Russet varieties work well.
  • Caribbean Green Seasoning: Often sold pre-made in Caribbean markets, or make your own using fresh herbs.
  • Pimento and Habanero Peppers: Found in the produce section of Caribbean or Latin grocery stores.
  • Ginger: Available in the produce section. Choose firm roots with smooth skin.

Cooking Notes from the Kitchen

  • Peeling Eggplant: You can choose to peel the eggplant or leave the skin on for added texture.
  • Heat Level: Adjust the amount of habanero pepper to control the spiciness of the dish.
  • Cooking Time: Allow the dish to simmer until the potatoes are tender and the eggplant has broken down, creating a thick sauce.
  • Serving Suggestion: This dish pairs wonderfully with hot Sada Roti or steamed white rice.

What can I use as a substitute for Caribbean Green Seasoning?

If you can’t find Caribbean Green Seasoning, you can make your own by blending scallions, thyme, garlic, parsley, and a bit of vinegar.

How spicy is this dish?

The heat level depends on the amount of habanero pepper used. For a milder dish, use less pepper or remove the seeds.

Can I add other vegetables to this dish?

Yes, you can add other vegetables, like bell peppers or tomatoes, to enhance the flavor and nutritional value.

Is this dish suitable for freezing?

Yes, this dish freezes well. Store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat thoroughly before serving.

Eggplant and potato dish in a pan on the stove with a wooden spoon resting on top
Print Recipe

Vegan Curry Eggplant and Potato (Baigan and Aloo)

Cuisine: Courses: Recipe Keys: Dairy Free Spicy Vegetarian
Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 45 mins Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Description

This Baigan and Aloo recipe is a comforting Caribbean classic that combines the creamy texture of eggplant with the hearty bite of potatoes, all seasoned with a blend of spices and herbs. It’s a vegan and gluten-free dish that’s both flavorful and satisfying.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video

  1. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and smashed garlic. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.

  2. Stir in the chopped pimento pepper, habanero pepper, grated ginger, Caribbean green seasoning, and black pepper. Cook on medium-low for another 3 minutes.

  3. Add the sliced potatoes to the pan and stir well to combine with the seasonings.

  4. After 5 minutes, add the cubed eggplant to the pan. Stir well; the eggplant will wilt, so don’t worry about the pan being full.

  5. Pour in the water and add the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

  6. Add the chopped tomato to the pan. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt if necessary.

  7. Once the potatoes are tender and the eggplant has broken down to create a thick sauce, remove from heat.

  8. Serve hot with Sada Roti or steamed white rice.

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Gluten Free Vegan

Curry Baigan (eggplant) and Aloo (potato).

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I’ve shared countless ways of making this over the years, yet this version is still the classic and most requested by fans of my work. A simple dish, usually served with the easiest and most classic of all the roti’s we make in the Caribbean, Sada Roti.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 medium onion (sliced)
5-7 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons curry powder
1 Habanero pepper (green/sliced)
3 medium potatoes (sliced)
2 tablespoon water
2 lbs eggplant (peeled/cubed)
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1 teaspoon Anchar masala
1/2 cup water (explained below)
3-5 Wiri Wiri peppers (optional)

Notes! May I recommend that you follow along with the video below as much more about the recipe is discussed there. If you cannot source the Anchar Masala, use ground roasted cumin (geera). Should you want to add a more herbal flavor to the curry, you may add a tablespoon Green Seasoning after cooking the onion/garlic combo. If making this dish gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. Especially the curry powder you use as some may contain fillers.

In a wide pan on a medium flame add the veg oil or any oil you prefer using. Follow up with the onion, garlic and black pepper and cook low for 2-3 minutes. In reality you may use as much onion and garlic as you prefer.

Add the curry powder and stir to toast evenly for 3 minutes on the low flame.

Add the sliced Green Habanero pepper (explained in the video) and 2 tablespoon of water, followed by the (peeled, washed and sliced) potatoes. Stir well, then go in with the eggplant pieces (about 1 inch cubes) and mix well.

Top with the Anchar Masala, turn the heat to med/low and cover the pot/pan and allow the steam and heat to do its thing. The eggplant or baigan will release a lot of moisture.

Stir every 4 minutes or so. Remember to add the salt at this point as well. Cook for about 8 minutes. At that point add the 1/2 cup of water to help get the potatoes tender to the point they start falling apart.

After 22-25 minutes of adding the potato to the pot, everything should be fairly cooked. Remove the lid (I had it slightly ajar) adjust the salt to your liking. At this point I added a few Wiri Wiri peppers WHOLE (do not break them) and cover the pot as you turn off the stove.

The residual heat will soften the skin of the Wiri Wiri peppers which will break easily when I enjoy my hot Sada Roti. Do not serve the peppers to your children or anyone who cannot handle the raw heat.

Easy to prepare, simply delicious and just overall comforting for me, as it’s something mom would make for my siblings and I on a Saturday morning.

Gluten Free Seafood

Eggplant With Potato (baigan and aloo) And Shrimp Recipe.

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eggplant with shrimp (12)

Baigan and Aloo (eggplant cooked with potato) was one of my favorite things to eat as a kid growing up on the islands.. except when mom would put saltfish (salted cod) in it. According to her (my adult self agrees 100%) makes it more ‘sweet’ (tasty) and though mom never made this dish with shrimp, it’s now one of my go-to recipes when I’m homesick. Granted it’s not a ‘pretty’ dish, but I assure it you’ll fall in love with it.

You’ll Need…

2 medium eggplant (peeled and cubed)
1 lb shrimp (16-20) * Smaller will work best
1 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
2 Birds Eye Pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4-6 small potatoes (cubed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
1 teaspoon salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 cups water
6-8 cherry tomatoes (optional)
1 tablespoon Parsley (chopped)

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go though the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you choose to use as there are some brands which use flour in their curry as a filler. Also note that while we did season the shrimp with a tiny bit of curry powder, technically this is NOT curry baigan wand aloo.

Peel and cube the eggplant and potato and set aside (keep the eggplant/potato in water to prevent it from going discolored) Season the washed (peeled and deveined) shrimp with the curry powder, black pepper, 1/4 of the salt and the Caribbean Green Seasoning.. mix well. Then heat 1 tablespoon of veg oil in a wide saucepan on a medium heat.

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Toss in the seasoned shrimp, stir well and cook for 1- 1.5 minutes, then remove and set aside for later. In the same pot add the renaming tablespoon of vegetable oil and go in with the onion. Cook on low for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic along with the Bird’s Eye pepper and cook on low for a further minute.

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Unless you want the dish spicy (like I do) try not to break the peppers or you will release it’s fury.  After which it’s time to add the cubed potato followed by the eggplant.

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Turn up the heat to medium high, stir well to pick up the shrimp flavor from the start, then go in with the water and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, add the remaining salt and cover the pot. After 20 minutes, crank up the heat to medium and put the lid slightly ajar. We’re trying to burn off most of the liquid while making the potato tender and fully cook the eggplant.

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After 5 minutes or so you can now remove the lid completely, add the tomatoes and parsley, stir and taste for salt. Adjust to your liking.. as mentioned in the video, I’m trying to cut back on the amount of salt I use. Finally it’s time to add the precooked shrimp to the pot, stir well and turn off the stove / cover the pot. Let the residual heat finish cooking the shrimp fully. Remove the peppers at the point if you wish.

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If you find that you have too much liquid near the end, you can use the back of your spoon to crush a few pieces f the potato. Do keep in mind that this dish will thicken as it cools. I ate mine with hot roti, so I needed a little gravy.. so it may look a bit runny in the picture.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Vegetarian

Baiganee A Vegetarian Classic.

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Though a very popular side dish/snack sold by many road-side vendors in Trinidad and Tobago, our only encounter with these tasty treats came yearly. Our mom’s cousin would always invite us to her home for Divali, where she would have a buffet of Indian influenced dishes and treats waiting for us. I can still remember that distinct scent of coconut oil burning in the deyas and the lovely aroma from the variety of dishes she prepared earlier in the day. Cousin Ivy is no longer with us (sadly), but the wonderful memories we have of her and the influence she’s made in my culinary journey will never be forgotten.

As part of the ‘party food’ theme for the month of November, I know you’ll be greeted with rave reviews after serving up a batch of these.

* In Trinidad and Tobago eggplant is sometimes called baigan.. maybe that’s where we get baiganee from?

You’ll Need…

I large eggplant (baigan.. about 1.5 lbs)
1 cup split peas powder/flour
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1 teaspoon salt (for eggplant)
1/4 teaspoon salt (for batter)
Pinch curry powder
1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup allpurpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (minced)
Water (see notes)
2 cups veg oil

Notes:  I ended up using close to 1 1/2 cups of water in making the batter. You may have to adjust this slightly as the flours you’ll be using may be a bit different than the one I had. I used 2 smaller eggplant as I wanted them to be somewhat slim so the slices would not be like huge tires.

Wash, trim and dry the eggplant (cut off the stems and discard). Then cut into wheels about 1/4 inch thick.

The eggplant (baigan) usually has a sort of bitter aftertaste and contains a lot of moisture, so we need to remedy this. Line a cookie sheet or cutting board with paper towels (or tea towel), then arrange the sliced eggplant one layer thick. Now sprinkle the 1 teaspoon of salt over the cut surface (press into it), then flip over and do the other side. Allow this to sit for about 1 hour. You’ll have soaked paper towels and beads of liquid on top of each slice of eggplant. Using a towel or more paper towels, blot (press) and soak up this moisture.

Set aside and lets make the batter. Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and give it a good whisk, to incorporate everything. Start adding water and whisk until you have a thick, well mixed batter. It’s important that the batter is thick (but runny enough) so it can coat each piece of eggplant.

It’s very important that the slices of eggplant are dry for the batter to really hold on to them. Tip: You can certainly dust each piece in flour before placing then into the batter if you wish.  Heat the vegetable oil on a medium high flame, then set up a sort of frying station. You’ll have the slices of eggplant, the batter, the heated oil and a basket (or bowl) lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil after they’re fried.

Dip each slice into the batter and coat evenly. Shake of excess batter and gently place into the hot oil. Cook for a minute on one side, then flip and cook for another minute. Cook for a minute or two after and flip for an even golden colour. They will float as they cook and will only take about 3-4 minutes to fully cook. Fish out with tongs and allow to drain on the paper towels.

Depending on the size of frying pan you use, only fry about 3 slices at a time. Try not to over-crowd the pan, or you will alter the temperature of the oil and end up with soggy baiganee. These are best served warm and with a spicy dipping sauce. On the recipe index page, there’s the mango chutney, tamarind sauce and other spicy condiments you can serve these with.

After further thought I think our mom never made these at home since we were not fans of it as children… oh how that’s changed over the years. This is a wonderful vegetarian treat to pass around during the holiday season and if you’re having guests over for Divali (or have no friends to invite you these days like me), you can whip up a batch of these… they’re sure to be a hit.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Meat & Poultry

Eggplant Cooked With Leftover Stewed Pork.

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Here’s another dish where the main flavor is heavily influenced by leftovers (food is never wasted in the Caribbean?). There are many variations of this eggplant recipe, but this time we’ll be using left over stewed pork to add another level of flavor and make it more exciting for our taste buds. Hot sada roti or rice is boss with this, but this day I had it with some buss up shut roti I had in the freezer. Tip: If you ever have extra roti (doesn’t work well for sada roti)or if you go to the the local Caribbean restaurant… purchase extra roti. Simply place them in freezer-proof bags and stick them in the freezer. I have roti for months in our freezer and when I’m peckish.. in the microwave and I’m set.

 

You’ll Need…

2 lb eggplant
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 large onion
dash black pepper
1 cup water
1 large potato
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (anything for a bit of kick)
2 tablespoon veg oil
leftover stewed pork (I had about 2 cups)

Notes: This dish is just as good without the pork. You can also use leftover stewed chicken or beef and adding some bits of salted cod, works well also. This eggplant  dish is also known as “baigan and aloo” – eggplant and potato and can be cooked as a curry dish. There are a few versions of this eggplant recipe posted here, in the event you’re interested.

The first thing we need to to do is peel and chop the (wash) eggplant and the other ingredients. You  can always refer to the video below to follow along. Using a sharp pairing knife (you can use a potato peeler also) trim off the stem, peel the eggplant, then cut into cubes about 1 inch or so. I’ve seen this recipe done with the skin on, so the choice is yours. Also peel and cube the potato and chop the scotch bonnet pepper, garlic and onion. This way we’re fully prepped!

Heat a deep saucepan on med/high heat and add the vegetable oil (a good option would be olive oil if you have no plans of adding meat to this dish – excellent flavor from that olive oil), then add the sliced onion and garlic. Turn your heat down as we want to slowly cook the onion/garlic for a 3 minutes, to release it’s flavor. After 3 minutes, turn the heat back up to med/high and add the scotch bonnet pepper and cubed eggplant. Give it a good stir, then add the salt and black pepper..stir. Now add the cubed potato and water and bring to a boil.

With the lid on the pot it should take a couple mins to come to a boil. As it comes to a boil, turn your heat down to a gentle simmer (lid on) and cook for 20 minutes. You will notice the eggplant will discolor and start melting down. That’s cool.. just remember to stir.

The eggplant will sprout it’s own juices, so with this and the water we added, there will be enough liquid to fully cook both the eggplant and potato. After 20 mins, add the pieces of stewed pork and give it a good stir. You will have a bit of liquid, so remove the lid and cook for about 5-7 minutes until is nice and thick. The dish is supposed to be mushy and to be honest.. not as attractive as other dishes I’ve shared.

Taste for salt as you’re tolerance for salt will be different than mine.. adjust and enjoy!

I urge you to give this eggplant recipe a try as many of us don’t give eggplant a fair chance and it’s quite tasty. That lovey sort of smokey undertones, spiced up with the scotch bonnet pepper and how could one miss the stewed pork.. Excellente! Below I’ve also included a video showing how simple it is to shop for the perfect eggplant. Do remember to leave your comments below.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.