Sichuan Garlic Eggplant (Yu Xiang Qie Zi)
Silky, melting eggplant in a glossy sweet, sour and spicy sauce of chili bean paste, garlic, ginger and black vinegar. Despite the name 'fish-fragrant', there's no fish at all — it's fully vegan.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Salt the eggplant
Toss the eggplant with the salt in a bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel before frying so they turn soft and silky without soaking up too much oil.
- 600g eggplant
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: the eggplant looks slightly limp with beads of water on the surface
Mix the sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, cornstarch and water or stock until the sugar and cornstarch dissolve.
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp black vinegar
- 1½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 120ml water or stock
Fry the eggplant
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Fry the bean paste, garlic and ginger
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Cook in the sauce and serve
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Salt the eggplant
Toss the eggplant with the salt in a bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel before frying so they turn soft and silky without soaking up too much oil.
- 600g eggplant
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: the eggplant looks slightly limp with beads of water on the surface
Mix the sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, cornstarch and water or stock until the sugar and cornstarch dissolve.
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp black vinegar
- 1½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 120ml water or stock
Fry the eggplant
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Fry the bean paste, garlic and ginger
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook in the sauce and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Yu xiang ('fish-fragrant') is one of Sichuan's classic flavour profiles. It's thought to come from the seasonings once used to cook fish — pickled chilies, garlic, ginger and scallion, balanced with sugar and vinegar.
The same sauce is used with pork, chicken and vegetables, but eggplant soaks it up best of all.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It turns a humble vegetable into something luxurious: meltingly soft, deeply savoury and perfectly balanced.
💡 Fun Fact
There's no fish in any yu xiang dish — the name refers only to the flavours traditionally paired with fish.
Sichuan Province
30.57°N, 104.07°E
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