Fish-Fragrant Eggplant is one of the most classic rice-killers in Sichuan cuisine. The eggplant is fried until soft and absorbs all the flavors, coated in a sweet, sour, and spicy sauce with minced meat. It’s savory, tangy, and absolutely irresistible with steamed rice.
🌴 Ingredients:
· 2 Chinese eggplants (cut into strips)
· 100g minced pork
🌴 Aromatics:
· 4-5 cloves minced garlic
· A small piece of minced ginger
· 1 stalk chopped scallion
· 2-3 pickled chilies (chopped, the soul of the dish)
🌴 Seasonings:
· 2 tbsp light soy sauce (about 20ml)
· 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (about 20ml)
· 1 tbsp sugar (about 15g, key for the sweet and sour taste)
· 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (about 5ml)
· 1 tsp cornstarch (about 5g, mixed with water)
· 1 tbsp cooking wine (about 10ml)
· Salt, to taste
· Cooking oil, as needed (for frying)
🌴 Instructions:
- Prepare the Eggplant
Cut the eggplant into strips, sprinkle with salt, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water. Heat oil to 160°C (about 60% hot) and fry the eggplant over medium heat until the skin is wrinkled and soft. Drain. ⚠️ Note: Salting the eggplant reduces oil absorption. I’ve tried it without salting, and it soaked up half the oil. - Stir-fry the Pork
Add a little oil to the pan, add the minced pork, and stir-fry over medium heat until it changes color and releases oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and pickled chilies, and stir-fry until fragrant. ⚠️ Note: Don’t skip the pickled chilies; they are the soul of the fish-fragrant flavor. - Make the Sauce
In a small bowl, mix the light soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. ⚠️ Note: The ratio of vinegar to sugar is about 1:1 for the perfect balance. - Combine and Serve
Add the fried eggplant and stir-fry to combine. Pour in the sauce and stir-fry over high heat until it thickens and coats the eggplant. Sprinkle with scallion and serve. ⚠️ Note: Be quick to keep the eggplant tender. I’ve tried cooking too long, and it turned mushy.
💡 More Savory and Irresistible Dishes:
If you enjoy this fish-fragrant eggplant, you should also try my [Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork] for another incredibly flavorful and satisfying dish.
Want to explore more? Check out my full [Home-style Dishes] category!
💡 Tips:
The key to Fish-Fragrant Eggplant is “soft eggplant, rich fish-fragrant flavor.” Salt the eggplant and squeeze it dry to reduce oil absorption. Don’t skip the pickled chilies. The ratio of vinegar to sugar is about 1:1. Be quick when combining to keep the texture.
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