Fish fragrant eggplant or yuxiang qiezi (鱼香茄子) is a delicious Sichuan Chinese recipe that, incidentally, has no fish in it.
The term “fish fragrant” actually refers to a flavor profile similar to certain Sichuan fish dishes. This recipe has a great balance of spicy, sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. We’re long overdue on sharing our version of this popular favorite!
The Origin of the Name Fish Fragrant Eggplant
The story behind the term “fish fragrant eggplant” is that a housewife used some leftover sauce from a braised fish to cook eggplant. Because the sauce was reminiscent of that familiar fish preparation, “fish fragrant” eggplant was born, and the name stuck.
The sauce contains many layers of flavor—fermented spicy bean sauce (la doubanjiang), garlic, ginger, scallion, rice wine, sugar, and a touch of vinegar. It’s complex and delicious, and the dish is wildly popular across China.
We added fish sauce to our fish fragrant eggplant recipe as an optional ingredient—both to add more umami flavor and to honor the origins of the dish! That said, it does not traditionally include any seafood ingredients.
What Kind of Eggplant Can I Use?
Long, light purple Chinese eggplants are the most tender, with a thin light purple skin. These eggplants are the most common type that you’ll find in your local Chinese grocery store. They cook quickly, are very tender, and their thinner skins and fewer seeds make them less bitter and tough.
Another option is Japanese eggplant, which is similarly shaped but has darker purple skin and denser flesh. This type of eggplant can take longer to cook, owing to that denser, drier interior.
If you cannot find either of these varieties, you can use regular globe eggplants, but you may have to cook them longer. If searing the eggplant alone isn’t getting it tender, you can add some water to the pan, cover, and steam them to cook them through. You may also consider peeling the skin of the eggplant if it’s particularly thick or tough.
How to Cook Chinese Eggplants?
That brings us to how we’re cooking these eggplants. Most restaurants flash-fry them, which cooks them quickly and results in soft and bright-colored eggplant pieces. The major downside to the restaurant version is an overly oily dish. Eggplants are like sponges, and they absorb oil even if quickly flash-fried.
Our answer to that is to sear the eggplant in a smaller amount of oil, adding a little more oil if needed as the eggplant cooks down. Wok frying the eggplant allows you to add as much or as little oil as you like, giving you a nice sear and even a hint of smoky wok hei flavor.
Adding a splash of Shaoxing wine and/or water to the wok during searing speeds the cooking process, although tender Chinese eggplants should cook in just about 8 minutes.
If you decide to use another variety, you can try pre-steaming the eggplant for 5 to 10 minutes or until the pieces are slightly tender, and then finish them by searing them in the wok. Or, if you find you need to help it along a bit while searing, just add a splash of water to generate some steam.
Every time I make this fish fragrant eggplant (yú xiāng qiézi), it’s met with smiles at the dinner table. That combination of ground pork, scorched eggplant, aromatics, and spicy bean sauce (là dòubàn jiàng) is like magic.
Video: Watch Us Make It!
Fish Fragrant Eggplant Recipe Instructions
In a measuring cup or medium bowl, combine the sauce ingredients: the chicken stock, spicy bean sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, fish sauce (if using), and white pepper.
Wash the eggplants, cut the ends off, and slice them into equal sized triangular pieces, as shown in the photos and the video. This eggplant shape opens up more surface area to cling to the sauce, and gives the dish a nice texture.
Place your wok over medium-high heat. Once the wok is hot, add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil to coat.
Add the eggplant, spreading the pieces out in one layer.
Sear the eggplant until browned on all sides. After about 2-3 minutes of cooking, add a bit more oil around the perimeter of the wok if the eggplant looks dry. You can lower the heat if needed, and add a splash of Shaoxing wine and/or water to speed the cooking process. Cook the eggplant for about 7-10 minutes, or until tender. Set all the cooked eggplant aside on a plate.
Note:
You want to make sure the eggplant is cooked through and softened at this stage. Under-cooked eggplant will result in a disappointing dish. The eggplants should have some give, yet retain their shape. If you’re using denser globe eggplants, and you’re steaming them first, take them out when they just start to become tender and give them a high heat quick sear in the wok with some oil.
Increase the heat to high until the wok starts to smoke. Add another tablespoon of oil, along with the ground pork. After the pork has browned and is slightly crispy, remove it from the wok and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium, and add the remaining tablespoon of oil, ginger and dried chilies. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute, or until the chilies are toasted and fragrant.
Tip!
If you want a spicier dish, open up a couple of the chilies to release their seeds. These toasted chilies are delicious, and I eat them along with everything in the dish!
Increase the heat to high, and add the garlic, white portions of the scallions, and the cooked ground pork.
Give everything a quick stir, and add the seared eggplant and pre-mixed sauce. Gently stir everything together. Let the mixture cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce comes to a simmer.
Mix the cornstarch slurry again, and add about half of it to the sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens, and add the green portions of the scallions.
Make adjustments to the sauce if needed. Add more slurry if it’s too thin, and add a bit of water if it’s too thick.
Serve immediately!
FaQs
Substitute vegetarian oyster sauce instead of regular oyster sauce, omit the fish sauce, and use 3-5 rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms in place of the meat.
If you don’t have a wok, don’t worry! You can cook this dish in a large pan and follow the same directions. Just make sure you use a pan that is large enough to fit all of the ingredients, and preheat it well before you start cooking, or the eggplant may stick. (Read why here.)
Spicy Bean Sauce (la doubanjiang) is a Sichuan ingredient made from fermented broad beans and spicy chilies. It’s spicy, salty, and loaded with umami. There are different brands and varieties, and our recommendation is to get a brand that specifies “Pixian” doubanjiang, if you can find it. Pixian is a district in Chengdu, in Sichuan province, where factories have been making this spicy fermented bean paste for centuries. Pixian doubanjiang has gained “National Intangible Cultural Heritage” status in China! You can find it online from Mala Market or Chinese online grocers. Learn more about spicy bean sauce here.
Fish fragrant eggplant and eggplant with garlic sauce are often equated with one another. Indeed, the two dishes do have similar preparations and flavor profiles. The perception is that “eggplant with garlic sauce” is the English term, while yuxiang qiezi (fish fragrant eggplant) is the Chinese term for the same dish. While the truth of that may be fuzzy, we do believe that they are two separate dishes. Eggplant with garlic sauce does not usually contain spicy bean sauce—an essential ingredient in fish fragrant eggplant. It is also generally sweeter and less spicy. Eggplant with garlic sauce in America evolved in kitchens with mostly Cantonese chefs, giving the dish a decidedly Cantonese flavor, rather than Sichuan. Our recipes for these dishes are similar, but distinct. See Sarah’s recipe for Eggplant with Garlic Sauce here!
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Recipe
Fish Fragrant Eggplant (Yuxiang Qiezi)
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon spicy bean sauce (la doubanjiang – 辣豆瓣酱)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
For the rest of the dish:
- 1 pound purple Chinese eggplants (1 pound/500g = 2-3 long eggplants)
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 4 ounces ground pork (or ground chicken or turkey)
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 10 dried chili peppers
- 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 scallions (cut on a sharp angle into 2-inch/5cm pieces; white and green parts separated)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
Instructions
- In a measuring cup or medium bowl, combine the sauce ingredients: the chicken stock, spicy bean sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, fish sauce (if using), and white pepper.
- Wash the eggplants, cut the ends off, and slice them into equal sized triangular pieces.
- Place your wok over medium-high heat. Once the wok is hot, add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil to coat. Add the eggplant, spreading the pieces out in one layer. Sear the eggplant until browned on all sides. After about 2-3 minutes of cooking, add a bit more oil around the perimeter of the wok if the eggplant looks dry. You can lower the heat if needed, and add a splash of Shaoxing wine and/or water to speed the cooking process. Cook the eggplant for about 7-10 minutes, or until tender. Set all the cooked eggplant aside on a plate.
- Increase the heat to high until the wok starts to smoke, and add another tablespoon of oil, along with the ground pork. After the pork has browned and is slightly crispy, remove it from the wok and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and add the remaining tablespoon of oil, ginger and dried chilies. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute, or until the chilies are toasted and fragrant.
- Increase the heat to high, and add the garlic, white portions of the scallions, and the cooked ground pork. Give everything a quick stir, and add the seared eggplant and pre-mixed sauce. Gently stir everything together, and let the mixture cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce comes to a simmer.
- Mix the cornstarch slurry again, and add about half of it to the sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens, and add the green portions of the scallions. Make adjustments to the sauce if needed: add more slurry if it’s too thin, and add a bit of water if it’s too thick. Serve immediately.
