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Yuxiang Eggplant

Yuxiang eggplant cooks in a sticky-sweet hot garlic sauce, resulting in a well-balanced savory side dish. It is the best Chinese eggplant recipe, and you can eat it as is with steamed rice, noodles, or serve it with entrees like with crispy pork or tofu

Yuxiang eggplant in a serving dish.

What You Need to Make Yuxiang Eggplant

  • Yuxiang Garlic Sauce: The sauce features traditional flavors like doubanjiang (broad bean paste), brown sugar, soy sauce, water, and Shaoxing wine.
  • Eggplant: Chinese eggplants are long and thin with vibrant purple skin and white flesh; they are often sweeter than other varieties of eggplant and work best in this recipe. Be sure the eggplants you use are firm and free of blemishes.
  • Cornstarch: Cornstarch creates a coating for the eggplants to cook.
  • Garlic: I suggest using five cloves, but don’t let my recipe tell you how much garlic to use – measure with your heart.
  • Ginger: Fresh ginger provides added flavor to the eggplant.
  • Arbol Chili: These bright red chilies provide subtle heat and add a splash of additional color.

How to Cook Yuxiang Eggplant

The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Cut the eggplant into 1-inch pieces and place them into a mixing bowl. Toss with salt and allow them to sit for 10 minutes.

Eggplant in mixing bowl with salt.

Step 2: Remove the excess moisture from the eggplant using a towel.

Eggplant drying on a towel.

Step 3: Return the eggplant to the bowl and add 1½ teaspoons of cornstarch; stir until evenly distributed and set it aside.

Eggplant tossed with cornstarch.

Step 4: Warm the oil in a wok until smoking. Add the reserved eggplant. Cook until they are tender and golden brown. Remove the cooked eggplants using tongs and set them aside.

Eggplant frying in a wok.

Step 5: Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium and add the bean paste; cook until aromatic for 30 seconds. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and dried red chilies and cook for another minute.

Bean paste, garlic, ginger, and chilies frying in a wok.

Step 6: Stir in the water, soy, sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the remaining ½ teaspoon of cornstarch.

Sauce added to the aromatics in a wok.

Step 7: Return the eggplant to the pan. Allow the mixture to simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens and the eggplant softens for about 10 minutes.

Step 8: Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with scallions to serve.

Yuxiang eggplant in a large serving dish.

Expert Tips

  • Prepare your wok or stainless steel pan before cooking the eggplant. Do this by heating the pan with oil over medium-high heat to create a beautiful non-stick seal for the eggplant to cook.
  • We salt and rinse the eggplant to reduce the bitterness and maintain their shape while cooking.
  • Use a Chinese cooking method called ‘liu,’ which involves frying the eggplant before preparing the sauce for the eggplants to cook in. You want the oil hot enough for the eggplant to fry and not steam or become soggy.

Serving Suggestions

The key to pairing is to pick a side dish or entree that will highlight the rich, umami flavor of the eggplant. Starchy sides and vegetables seem to work best; I suggest steamed white rice, quinoa, noodles, and vegetables like garlic-fried green beans. The eggplant dish goes great with crispy sesame tofuChongqing chicken, or crispy pork.

What to do with the Leftovers

  • Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
  • Freeze: Let the eggplant cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or container. Yuxiang eggplant freezes for 2 months.
  • Thaw: Defrost the eggplant in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Reheat: Warm the leftovers on the stovetop and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Yu Xiang mean in Mandarin?

Yú Xiāng is a popular sauce used to cook eggplant in Sichuanese cuisine. Despite its name translating to ‘fish fragrant,’ the dish does not contain any seafood or fish-related ingredients.

Instead, Yuxiang Eggplant comes from the way the dish is prepared, which mimics the flavor and aroma of fish.

The sauce has a sweet and tangy profile and is a prominent flavor in Sichuan cuisine, commonly used to flavor eggplant, fish, and pork. In Sichuan restaurants, the dish is often referred to as eggplant in garlic sauce or spicy garlic eggplant.

What does Yu Xiang sauce taste like?

Yú Xiāng sauce is a traditional Sichuan sauce that’s sweet and tangy with heat to round out the bold flavors.

What is the best way to cook eggplant?

To make Yuxiang Eggplant, I recommend using the Chinese cooking technique called ‘liu;’ this involves frying the eggplant before adding it to the sauce.

It’s essential to ensure the oil is adequately heated to prevent the eggplant from turning soggy or steamed.

Why do you soak eggplant before cooking?

Many recipes use brining to reduce the bitterness of eggplants and maintain their shape while cooking. We salt and rinse the eggplant before cooking them to achieve the same result.

As always, Kenji does a great job of explaining the science of why the works in his video.

More Eggplant Recipes:

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Yuxiang eggplant in a large serving dish.

Yuxiang Eggplant

Tressa Jamil
Chinese Yuxiang eggplant cooks in a sticky garlic sauce resulting in a well-balanced savory side dish that's the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese, Sichuan
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 206 kcal
Ingredients
  
  • 3-4 Chinese eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • teaspoons cornstarch, divided
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon doubanjiang (bean paste)
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
  • ¼ cup dried Arbol chilies, chopped
  • teaspoon red sichuan peppercorns, slightly crushed
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 4 scallions, greens thinly sliced
Instructions
 
  • Cut the eggplant into 1-inch pieces and place them into a mixing bowl. Toss with salt and allow them to sit for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the excess moisture from the eggplant using a towel.
  • Return the eggplant to the bowl and add 1½ teaspoons of cornstarch; stir until evenly distributed and set it aside.
  • Warm the oil in a wok until smoking. Add the reserved eggplant. Cook until they are tender and golden brown. Remove the cooked eggplants using tongs and set them aside.
  • Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium and add the bean paste; cook until aromatic for 30 seconds. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and dried red chilies and cook for another minute.
  • Stir in the water, soy, sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the remaining ½ teaspoon of cornstarch.
  • Return the eggplant to the pan. Allow the mixture to simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens and the eggplant softens for about 10 minutes.
  • Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with scallions to serve.
Notes
Expert Tips:
  • Prepare your wok or stainless steel pan before cooking the eggplant. Do this by heating the pan with oil over medium-high heat to create a beautiful non-stick seal for the eggplant to cook.
  • We salt and rinse the eggplant to reduce the bitterness and maintain their shape while cooking.
  • Use a Chinese cooking method called ‘liu,’ which involves frying the eggplant before preparing the sauce for the eggplants to cook in. You want the oil hot enough for the eggplant to fry and not steam or become soggy.
Nutrition Disclosure:
  • The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 206 kcal | Carbohydrates: 18 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 15 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g | Trans Fat: 0.1 g | Sodium: 707 mg | Potassium: 494 mg | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 9 g | Vitamin A: 771 IU | Vitamin C: 8 mg | Calcium: 36 mg | Iron: 1 mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and follow @thejamilghar or tag #thejamilghar on Instagram!
4.75 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Shariq

Sunday 16th of October 2022

Very nice takeout restaurant-style eggplant. I really enjoyed preparing and eating this dish with spicy Chinese chicken.

Tressa Jamil

Tuesday 10th of January 2023

Wow, restaurant-style, that's quite a compliment; I am glad you enjoyed it.