Eggplant with garlic sauce, or yu xiang qie zi (鱼香茄子), is a classic Sichuan dish, packed with savory, spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors. Our recipe is a healthier adaptation of the classic. The eggplants are steamed instead of deep fried, so the dish is much lighter, less greasy, and just as tasty!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Yield: 2servings
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Ingredients
For the dish:
1poundChinese eggplantcut into 2 to 3 inch sticks
4ouncesground porkground chicken or turkey works too
Prepare pot or wok with a steaming rack or a steamer filled with about 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium to keep it at a high simmer.
If you're steaming in a pot or wok with a steaming rack, arrange the eggplant sticks in a heatproof plate or wide, shallow bowl. If you're steaming in a steamer, you can place the eggplants directly into the steam basket.
Steam the eggplants for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the white part of the eggplant can be easily indented. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare the sauce:
While the eggplants are steaming, prepare the sauce by combining everything (soy sauce, water, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch). Give the sauce a good mix until the cornstarch is well incorporated and set aside.
Stir fry the dish:
In a wok or pan over medium to medium heat, add 4 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the garlic, ginger, spicy broad bean paste, ground chili pepper flakes, and whole dry chilies. Stir fry until fragrant and red in color, about 15 to 30 seconds.
Add the ground pork and stir fry until the pork is no longer pink. Make sure to break up the ground pork well.
When the pork is done, give the prepared sauce a good mix and pour it into the wok. Bring the sauce to a simmer and mix frequently until the sauce is thick and glossy. Reduce the heat to medium low.
Drain the steamed eggplants of excess water and add them to the wok. Gently stir and toss the eggplants until well coated.
Add the sliced green onions and the sesame oil and give the eggplants a couple more tosses.
Transfer the eggplant in garlic sauce to a serving bowl and garnish with more green onion if you like. Enjoy with rice!
Notes
Please refer to the post above for step by step photo references, tips, and FAQs!
Eggplant - We highly recommend Chinese eggplants because they have much more tender skin, have less seeds, and tastes sweeter and milder. However, you can use regular American eggplant, also known as globe eggplants. Check out more information in the post above!
Meatless option - You can adapt this recipe into a meatless, vegan dish if you prefer. You can substitute the pork for firm tofu, shiitake mushrooms of your choice, or just use more vegetables such as bell pepper and onion. Refer to the post above for more details.
Spicy broad bean paste - You can also use Chinese pickled peppers instead. Just finely chop it up and add it when you would have added the bean paste. If you cannot find spicy broad bean paste, omit it and add about ½ teaspoon of salt to the sauce .