Fish Flavored Eggplant Recipe (鱼香茄子)

• 

  RATINGS

  Not rated yet

• 

  COOK TIME

  Prep 20m • Cook 25m

• 

  VIEWS

  322

1. Long Asian eggplants

   about 600 g / 1.3 lb, unpeeled, cut into 7–8 cm strips

2. Ground pork

   150 g / 5 oz, omit for vegetarian

3. Garlic

   4 cloves, finely minced

4. Fresh red chili

   1 small, thinly sliced (remove seeds for less heat)

5. Doubanjiang

   spicy fermented broad bean paste, 1 tbsp

   Can’t find it? Try this one.

6. Salt

   ½ tsp for salting eggplant + optional pinch at end

7. Granulated sugar

   2 tbsp

8. Rice vinegar or white vinegar

   4 tbsp

   Can’t find it? Try this one.

9. Light soy sauce

   2 tbsp

   Can’t find it? Try this one.

10. Chicken bouillon powder

    ½ tsp— or omit for vegetarian

    Can’t find it? Try this one.

11. Toasted sesame oil

    1 tsp

    Can’t find it? Try this one.

12. Cornstarch

    2 tbsp for coating + 1 tsp for sauce

13. Water

    ½ cup / 120 ml

14. Neutral cooking oil

    3–4 tbsp, like canola or vegetable

1. Step 1: Salt the eggplant first

   Toss eggplant strips with ½ tsp salt. Let sit 10 minutes—they’ll soften and release water. This step keeps them from soaking up too much oil.

   

2. Step 2: Dry and dust lightly

   Squeeze out excess moisture with your hands or pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle 2 tbsp cornstarch over and toss until each piece has a faint coating.

   

3. Step 3: Pan-sear until tender

   Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add eggplant in a single layer (cook in two batches if needed). Sear 4–5 minutes per side until golden and yielding. Set aside.（I used a bit more oil here for speed—pan-frying gets the job done just as well.）

   

4. Step 4: Build flavor base

   Add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan. Crumble in pork and cook until just done. Stir in doubanjiang and chili; cook 1 minute until oil turns red. Add garlic and stir 20–30 seconds until fragrant.

   

5. Step 5: Bring it all together

   Return eggplant to the pan. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, bouillon, 1 tsp cornstarch, and ½ cup water. Pour over. Simmer 3–4 minutes on medium heat until sauce thickens and clings to the eggplant.

   

6. Step 6: Finish quietly

   Turn off heat. Drizzle with sesame oil, give a gentle stir, and serve right away over plain steamed rice.

   

1. Don’t rinse the salted eggplant unless you accidentally used too much salt—it’ll wash away flavor and texture.

2. If you don’t have a big skillet, roast the coated eggplant at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes instead of pan-frying—flip halfway.

3. The sauce should taste balanced: salty from soy/doubanjiang, sweet from sugar, sharp from vinegar. Adjust one element only if needed after tasting.

Help others discover this dish — share it!