Chinese · Lunch · Dinner
Yu Xiang Eggplant (Fish-Fragrant Eggplant)
鱼香茄子 (Yú xiāng qiézi)
Silky Chinese eggplant coated in a glossy sweet, sour and spicy garlic-ginger chilli bean sauce, the classic Sichuan 'fish-fragrant' flavour without any fish. This lighter version steams the eggplant instead of deep-frying it, so it stays tender while using only a little oil.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 46% · Fat 47% · Protein 7%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 3 medium600 gChinese eggplant (long, slender)
- 1/4 tspSalt
- 2 tbsp27 gRapeseed (canola) oil
- 6 cloves18 gGarlic, finely minced
- 1 tbsp10 gFresh ginger, finely minced
- 3 stalks45 gSpring onions, whites and greens sliced separately
- 1 1/2 tbsp27 gDoubanjiang (Sichuan chilli bean paste)
- 1 tbsp16 gReduced-sodium light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp22 gChinese black vinegar (Chinkiang)
- 1 tbsp12 gSugar
- 2 tsp6 gCornstarch
- 1/2 cup120 gWater
Steps
- 1
Trim the eggplants and cut them into finger-sized strips about 8 cm long.
- 2
Toss the eggplant strips with the salt in a bowl and leave for 10 minutes.
- 3
Pat the eggplant dry with a clean towel to remove the drawn-out moisture.
- 4
Steam the eggplant over boiling water for 8–10 minutes until very soft, then set aside.
- 5
Stir the soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, cornstarch and water together in a small bowl to make the sauce.
- 6
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat.
- 7
Add the doubanjiang and stir-fry for about 1 minute until the oil turns red and fragrant.
- 8
Add the garlic, ginger and spring onion whites and stir-fry for 30 seconds without letting them burn.
- 9
Stir the sauce again, pour it into the wok and simmer for about 1 minute until it thickens and turns glossy.
- 10
Add the steamed eggplant and gently toss for 2 minutes until evenly coated and heated through.
- 11
Scatter over the spring onion greens and serve hot.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For gluten-free, use tamari in place of soy sauce and choose a doubanjiang and black vinegar labelled gluten-free, since many contain wheat.
- If you can't find Chinese eggplant, use regular globe eggplant cut into similar strips and steam it a few minutes longer until very soft.
- Swap the Chinese black vinegar for rice vinegar with a small splash of balsamic if it's hard to find.
- For a milder dish, use half the doubanjiang and add a little extra soy sauce for savouriness.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot. It's best eaten fresh, and freezing isn't recommended because the eggplant turns watery and mushy.
Make ahead
You can cut, salt and steam the eggplant and mix the sauce up to a day ahead, keeping both covered in the fridge. Mince the garlic, ginger and spring onions shortly before cooking, then do the quick stir-fry just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: GlutenSoy
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (226 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 154 kcal | 68 kcal |
| Protein | 3.1 g | 1.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18.5 g | 8.2 g |
| of which sugars | 9.5 g | 4.2 g |
| Fiber | 5 g | 2.2 g |
| Fat | 8.4 g | 3.7 g |
| of which saturated | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 514 mg | 227 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
