Despite its name, Fish-Fragrant Eggplant (魚香茄子, Yúxiāng Qiézi) contains no fish at all. Instead, the term “yúxiāng” (魚香) refers to a unique Sichuan flavour profile that originated from traditional fish preparation techniques. This distinctive seasoning blend—consisting of garlic, ginger, Sichuan Pixian Doubanjiang (郫縣豆瓣醬), aged vinegar (陳醋), and sugar—was originally used to season fish dishes. Over time, this flavourful combination was found to work exceptionally well with vegetables and meats, leading to the creation of non-fish yúxiāng dishes, including this beloved eggplant stir-fry.
The combination of eggplant with the bold, spicy, sweet, and tangy “yúxiāng” sauce is uniquely Sichuanese. This dish showcases the region’s signature balance of flavours, making it one of the most popular and well-loved Sichuan stir-fries. Over time, different regional variations have emerged, with some versions adjusting the spice level or sweetness to suit local palates.
The soft, creamy texture of Chinese eggplant perfectly absorbs the complex, umami-rich sauce, making every bite deeply flavourful. Served with a bowl of hot white rice, it’s a comforting and satisfying dish that captures the essence of Sichuan cuisine.
Ingredients
- Compared to Western eggplants, Chinese eggplants have a thinner shape, thinner skin, softer texture, and a slightly sweeter and less bitter flavour. Cutting them into long strips or wedges helps retain structure during cooking.
- Salt draws out excess moisture from the eggplant, helps reduce oil absorption and enhances their texture, making them creamier and more flavourful.
- Corn starch is used to coat the eggplant before frying, helping to create a crispier texture and preventing excessive oil absorption.
- Vegetable oil have a high-smoke point and works well for frying in high heat. It is used for pan-frying the eggplant to soften it while keeping the texture intact.
- Minced pork adds depth and umami flavour to balance the dish’s sweet, sour, and spicy notes.
- Minced garlic provides the aromatic base for flavour.
- Ginger adds warmth and enhances the fragrance of the dish.
- Chilli provides heat to the dish. Red pickled chilli (泡椒) is generally used for authentic Sichuan-style. However, it was not available to me so I substituted it with fresh chilli. If you’re using pickled chilli, the vinegar can be mixed with the sauce instead adding it right after the chilli.
Signature Seasonings
- Aged vinegar (陳醋) gives the dish its signature tangy, slightly sweet depth. If using pickled chilli, reduce to 1 tbsp for balance.
- Sichuan Chilli bean paste/ Pixian Doubanjiang (郫縣豆瓣醬) is the soul of Sichuan cooking. This fermented chilli bean paste adds deep umami, saltiness, and a rich red colour.
- White parts of scallions provide a strong aromatic base, while green parts add freshness at the end.
Sauce
- Soy sauce adds saltiness and umami flavours.
- Dark soy sauce gives the dish a deep colour.
- Sugar balances the spiciness and acidity.
- Water prevents the sauce from being too thick.
- Corn starch slightly thickens the sauce for better coating on eggplant.
Steps
- Prep the eggplant for best texture
- Cut the eggplant into long strips or wedges (~10cm).
- Sprinkle salt over the eggplant and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. This helps draw out excess water, reducing oil absorption when stir-fried.
- Rinse under water and lightly squeeze out excess moisture with your hands.
- Lightly coat the eggplant with corn starch. This forms a protective layer, reducing oil absorption while keeping a crisp exterior.
- Prepare other ingredients while waiting for the eggplant
- Chop and mince all the aromatics.
- In a small bowl, mix sauce and stir well until combined.
- Having the sauce and ingredients ready ensures a smooth cooking process without overcooking any ingredients.
- Fry the eggplant until golden brown
- Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the eggplant strips.
- Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, flipping occasionally until they turn golden brown and softened.
- Remove from the wok and set aside on a plate. Drain out the oil and leave the remaining oil in the wok.
- Cook the minced pork
- Add the minced pork, breaking it apart with a spatula.
- Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until the pork is lightly browned and no longer pink.
- Remove from wok and set aside with the eggplant.
- Build the aromatic base
- With the remaining oil in the wok, add: garlic, ginger, white parts of scallions and fresh chilli.
- Stir-fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Immediately, add the aged vinegar and stir quickly. Adding vinegar at this stage helps the acid cut through the oil and balance the aromatics.
- Add the bean paste (Doubanjiang) and stir-fry for 1 minute. This releases its deep umami flavours and signature red colour.
- Bring everything together
- Add back the fried eggplant and cooked minced pork and mix well.
- Pour in the prepared sauce and mix everything well.
- Stir-fry over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the eggplant evenly.
- Toss in the green parts of the scallions, mix well, then turn off the heat.
- Serve and enjoy
- Plate the stir-fry hot and serve immediately with steamed rice.
- Optionally, garnish with extra scallions.
Fish-Fragrant Eggplant
Ingredients
- 500 g Chinese eggplant
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 100 g minced pork
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 2 fresh chilli chopped
- scallions chopped, white part
- 1.5 tbsp aged vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sichuan Pixian Doubanjiang (chilli bean paste)
- scallions chopped, green part
Sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp corn starch
Instructions
- Cut the eggplant into long strips or wedges. Sprinkle salt over the eggplant and let it sit for 15-20 minutes to remove excess moisture. Rinse under water and lightly squeeze out excess water. Lightly coat the eggplant with corn starch to help with crispiness during frying.500 g Chinese eggplant, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp corn starch
- Chop and mince all the aromatics. In a small bowl, mix all sauce ingredients.3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger, 2 fresh chilli, scallions, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp water, 1/2 tsp corn starch
- Heat vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant strips when oil is heated but not smoking yet and stir-fry until golden brown and softened (3-4 minutes). Remove and set aside and leave some oil in the wok.3 tbsp vegetable oil, 500 g Chinese eggplant
- In the same wok, add minced pork and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, breaking it apart until no longer pink. Remove and set aside.100 g minced pork
- With the remaining oil, add garlic, ginger, white part of scallions, and fresh chilli, and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Immediately add 1.5 tbsp Sichuan aged vinegar at this stage, stirring quickly to let it coat the aromatics. Add Doubanjiang (郫县豆瓣酱) . Stir-fry for 1 minute to release the deep umami flavours.3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger, 2 fresh chilli, scallions, 1.5 tbsp aged vinegar, 1 tbsp Sichuan Pixian Doubanjiang
- Add back the fried eggplant and cooked minced pork. Mix well. Pour in the prepared sauce and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the eggplant evenly. Toss in the green parts of the scallions, mix well, then turn off the heat.500 g Chinese eggplant, 100 g minced pork, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp water, 1/2 tsp corn starch, scallions
- Plate the stir-fry hot and serve immediately with steamed rice. Optionally, garnish with extra scallions.scallions
