Vegetarian Rogan Josh with Black Lentils & Aubergine

This vegetarian rogan josh is packed with wholesome ingredients – it's healthy comfort food for chilly days. This aubergine curry is vegetarian/ vegan and a great way to satisfy a curry craving.

I was 19 when I had my first curry house experience. And yes, you guessed it, I ordered the korma - the mildest dish on the menu. I soon advanced to other dishes and I'm pleased to report that my family all enjoy a good curry. Lucky for me, the kids enjoy a healthy measure of aromatic spices in their food and a burst of heat so a feast of curries and sides dishes is often how we dine on a Saturday evening now, especially in the cooler months.

However, life is not all Saturday night eating extravaganzas. Weekdays are our time to be healthy and I do serve plenty of vegetarian meals from Monday to Thursday. One of our current favourite meat-free suppers is this vegetarian rogan josh and I'm pleased to be sharing it with you today.

This aubergine curry is pure heaven for vegetarians and it can also be made completely vegan. Black lentils make an excellent form of healthy protein in place of meat and they hold their shape really well without turning mushy. I've piled plenty of other chunky vegetables into this veggie curry to ensure that there is an abundance of texture and bite.

What is Rogan Josh?

Rogan josh originated in Kashmiri cuisine and has become very popular in British curry houses. Typically, rogan josh consists of pieces of lamb (or mutton) braised with a gravy flavoured with garlic, ginger and aromatic spices including: cloves, bay leaves, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Traditionally, whole dried Kashmiri chillies are de-seeded, soaked in water, and ground to a paste. This gives the curry a distinctive red appearance. I've taken a shortcut and used Kashmiri chilli powder (from Spice Mountain), although the redness of the curry is sadly downplayed by those black lentils. Kashmiri chillies add a milder heat and smokier flavour to dishes than typical chilli powder would.

In the absence of Kashmiri chilli, paprika and cayenne pepper occasionally appear in some western rogan josh recipes.

Whether or not an authentic rogan josh is a tomato-based curry is open to debate. The inclusion of tomatoes may well stem from a Punjabi version of the dish as opposed to a Kashmiri one. Similarly, onions and yoghurt appear in some recipes but not others.

My vegetarian rogan josh uses black lentils in place of the meat for protein. It does use onions and Kashmiri chilli powder. Although it uses only a small amount of tomato puree in the gravy, I have added a few wedges of fresh tomato to boost the vegetable content and provide an additional burst of vibrancy, since rogan josh is renown for being colourful.

The yoghurt is entirely optional - a little stirred through at the end can add a devilishly creamy and indulgent finish to this very healthy veggie curry recipe.

Heatwise, I would classify this aubergine curry as medium-mild. The spices all add a wonderful aromatic base but the Kashmiri chilli, although milder than most, still adds a hearty tingle of warmth as this dish is eaten.

How to Make Vegetarian Rogan Josh

This veggie curry takes around 45 minutes to make in one pan if using pre-cooked black lentils. Full instructions are in my recipe card below, but briefly, here's the deal:

• Begin by cutting the aubergine into large chunks and frying in oil until browned
• Next, cut the onion in half. Chop one half into thick slices and dice the other half. Fry until soft
• Deseed and slice the peppers and fry for several minutes before adding the aubergine back into the pan
• Peel the garlic cloves and ginger. Chop roughly and blitz along with the tomato puree and water using a stick blender

• Add the spices to the pan, stir and cook until aromatic then add the liquid and black lentils
• Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add a little more water if the sauce gets too thick
• Once cooked, stir through fresh coriander & yoghurt, then serve with rice or naan bread

How do I Turn This Into a Vegan Curry?

It's very easy to make this veggie recipe into a vegan curry recipe.

Simply omit the yoghurt completely or replace with a non-dairy yoghurt (plain) that is suitable for cooking with.

Since yoghurt serves to add a creamier texture to the curry and temper some of the fiery heat in the recipe leaving it out will alter the final gravy and heat level. To thin the sauce just stir a little extra water through if it gets too thick. If you are concerned that the curry may be too hot without the yoghurt, consider toning down the chilli powder a touch the first time you make this recipe.

This aubergine curry is midweek comfort food at its best. This dish is ready in approximately 45 minutes, tastes fantastic and yet manages to remain wholesome. That's quite an achievement at suppertime.

Have you seen my other veggie main meals:

• Paneer Tikka Kebabs
• Lentil Olive Stew
• Vegetarian Black Lentil & Beetroot Pie
• Cheesy Vegetable Potato Pie
• Hazelnut Pesto with Thyme
• Vegan Shepherds Pie with Lentils