Spicy Sichuan-Style Eggplant
Sichuan-style eggplant is one of the great dishes of Chinese home cooking — silky, tender eggplant pieces glazed in a sauce that hits every flavor note at once: spicy, sweet, sour, salty, and savory. The sauce clings to every surface of the eggplant, and the whole dish comes together in under 20 minutes once you've done the prep.
The technique that makes this work is velveting the eggplant in hot oil (or a generous amount of oil in a wok) until the flesh turns golden and collapses into that characteristic silky texture. Chinese eggplant varieties work best — they're longer, thinner, and have fewer seeds than globe eggplant — but any variety will work if you cut it into uniform pieces. Salting the cut eggplant for 15 minutes and squeezing out the moisture before cooking helps it absorb less oil and brown faster.
The sauce is a balance of doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste), soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, and a touch of sesame oil. Serve over steamed jasmine rice to catch every drop. Garnish with sliced scallions and a pinch of toasted sesame seeds.
Ingredients
- ● 2 large eggplants
- ● 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- ● 4 cloves garlic cloves
- ● 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
- ● 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
- ● 2 tablespoons red chili paste
- ● 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ● 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ● 2 teaspoons sugar
- ● 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ● 2 stalks green onions
- ● 1/4 cup cilantro
Instructions
- 1Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant wedges until golden and tender, about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- 2In the same pan, reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons. Add the garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- 3Add the red chili paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. Stir well to combine, then return the eggplant to the pan.
- 4Pour in the cornstarch water mixture and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the eggplant evenly, about 5 minutes.
- 5Transfer the eggplant to a serving dish. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 350 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5g |
| Carbohydrates | 30g |
| Fat | 25g |
