Craving authentic Chinese flavors at home? This Silky Sichuan Eggplant recipe is a total flavor explosion! Perfectly tender eggplant is braised in a savory and spicy sauce featuring ginger, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns for that iconic "numbing" spice. This eggplant dish pairs perfectly with a bowl of steamed white rice. Skip the delivery and make this superb restaurant-style dish in your own kitchen tonight!
Sichuan Eggplant - Where Have You Been All My Life?
This tremendous Chinese eggplant dish, a speciality of the Sichuan province, has been around a very long time. However, it only recently entered my life as a dish I had to try for my 1,000 Foods To Eat Project. I regret it took so long for me to discover this amazing Chinese food...but better late than never as they say!
What Is Chinese Sichuan Eggplant?
Chinese Sichuan Eggplant is an incredible dish that features Asian eggplant (either Japanese or Chinese eggplants). The eggplant is fried until it is incredibly tender and silky, and then it is cooked with an amazing array of spices and combined with crispy minced pork.
The result is a complex mix of flavors that is salty, spicy, and tingly due to the inclusion of Sichuan peppercorns.
In this dish, the humble eggplant is transformed into an almost ethereal culinary experience that MUST be experienced.
If you're ready to create this dish in your home kitchen, then please read on and I'll tell you what you'll need to gather to make this magical dish!
What Ingredients Will I Need To Make Sichuan Eggplant?
Sichuan Eggplant is a pretty simple dish to make. However, if you are not familiar with ingredients typically used in Sichuan cooking, there may be a tiny bit of a learning curve regarding those ingredients.
I have linked to Amazon for some of these ingredients for convenience sake. You should be able to find everything in well stocked Asian grocery stores.
So, here are the ingredients you will need:
- Chinese or Japanese eggplants - this dish is best using Asian eggplant, and not the American or standard globe eggplant. Here is an article from The Spruce Eats which explains the differences amongst these eggplants.
- Salt (for soaking the eggplant)
- Sichuan peppercorn - these are quite amazing! They generate a numbing and tingly feeling in your mouth. It may seem strange at first, but I promise it's addictive! You will want to grind up or lightly crush the peppercorns for use in this dish.
- Ground pork mince (can omit if you like)
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Dried Asian chilies - leave the chili peppers whole for a spicy dish, and cut them up for more spice!
- Sugar
- Light soy sauce (can sub regular soy sauce)
- Black vinegar
- Chicken stock
- Vegetable or peanut oil
- Sesame oil
- Spring onions for garnish
- Pixian Douban (broad bean and red chili paste) - this adds a fantastic rich salty flavor to this dish! This spicy bean paste is indispensable!
The beauty of acquiring these ingredients is that you can use them to not only make Sichuan eggplant, but you now have the tools to cook up quite an array of delicious Sichuan dishes! More about that later.
Above all, please don't let the list of ingredients put you off of making this dish. It's totally worth it! 😊
Now I'll show you how easy this Chinese eggplant recipe is to make!
The Easy Steps To Make Sichuan Eggplant
Silky and delicious Sichuan eggplant is just a few steps away!
Prep and Cook The Eggplant
Cut off the the ends of the eggplant and then cut into thick slices. I do this by cutting the long eggplant into 4 equal pieces vertically widthwise, and then cutting each piece into 8 thick slices lengthwise.
Then soak it in some salty cold water in a large bowl for around 15 minutes or so, using a plate to keep the pieces of eggplant under the salt water. Drain and then pat the pieces dry using paper towels.
Add 3 cups of your vegetable oil to your wok, and turn the heat to high. Once the oil is super hot and shimmering, add the eggplant and deep fry until the eggplant softens, and becomes silky and slightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. After deep frying, remove and put the eggplant on paper towels to drain.
Turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool for a bit, and then pour off all but a tablespoon of oil or two, into a heat proof vessel.
Make The Sauce
While the oil is cooling make your sauce by combining the light soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, and chicken broth in a small bowl. Set this sauce aside for now.
Fry The Pork Until Crispy
Next it's time to fry your pork. I love making crispy pork it's super fun! Sometimes the pork starts popping out of the pan when it gets crispy. 😃
Turn the heat back to high. Once very hot, add the minced pork to the pan and continue to stir fry on a high heat until the pork turns crispy. This could take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, and the time may vary according to what type of cooking vessel you are using. Remove the crispy pork to a container lined with paper towels, and set aside for now.
Put It All Together Now!
Here is where everything comes together! Lower the heat to medium heat. Add the Pixian Douban (broad bean paste) and the flavorful sauce consisting of light soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, and chicken broth to the wok, and stir fry for about 30 seconds.
Now add the minced garlic and ginger and stir fry continuously to incorporate until fragrant (around 30 seconds).
Next, add the eggplant and pork to the mix, finishing off by mixing in the tingly Sichuan peppercorn, Asian dried chilies, green onions, and drizzling with sesame oil.
Here is the glorious end result...Sichuan eggplant RICH with flavor! This dish is salty, garlicky, gingery, spicy, silky and downright INCREDIBLE!
Suggestions For Serving
Traditionally this pork dish is served with steamed white rice and garnished with green onions. Truly that's all you need for a delicious and complete meal. But you can serve this as a main dish or a side dish.
I devoured mouthful after mouthful and the only regret I had was that I didn't make more!
I am pretty confident that you will devour this Chinese eggplant stir fry just as I did. Please take time to enjoy the complex flavors in this dish, as well as the mouth numbing and tingling effect. TRULY ADDICTIVE!
This will become one of your favorite eggplant recipes!
FAQ
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in your refrigerator, and enjoy within a couple of days.
Brining the eggplant helps the eggplant to keep its shape while cooking, and also may help the eggplant turn softer faster.
I highly recommend Japanese or Chinese eggplants for use in this recipe. These have thinner skin, less seeds than Western eggplants and also a less bitter taste!
Some Other Sichuan Dishes For You To Try!
Why not use the wonderful Chinese ingredients you buy for Sichuan eggplant in these other incredible Sichuan dishes?
1,000 FOODS TO EAT PROJECT
I am working my way through the foods that are listed in the book 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die by Mimi Sheraton. This is called my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project. The Chinese Sichuan dish called Sichuan Eggplant is food #53 in my Project!
In this book, the author Mimi Sheraton lists her choice for the 1,000 Foods of the World that you MUST try. Sichuan Eggplant, which is one of Sichuan's favorite foods, is an absolute dream of a dish! Please don't let another day pass you by before enjoying this traditional Chinese dish! 😃
Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
Finally, I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food horizons! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.
Cheers!
Grace
Silky and Superb Sichuan Eggplant!
Equipment
- wok use of a wok is highly recommended; can also use a large skillet or vessel deep enough for deep frying
- large bowl for soaking the eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 lb Japanese or Chinese eggplant about 2 eggplants
- 2 ts salt for soaking the eggplant
- 3 cups vegetable oil can also use peanut oil; the amount of oil you need may vary, just use enough oil so that you can deep fry the eggplant
- 0.5 lb minced pork
- 1 tablespoon Pixian Douban broad bean paste; if you can't find this you can omit it BUT please include in this dish if you can it's not the same without it!
- 4 ts ginger minced
- 4 ts garlic minced
- 14 dried Asian chilies modify to suit your tastes; leave whole for a less spicy dish, and cut them up for a more spicy dish
- 2 ts Sichuan peppercorn lightly crushed using a pestle and mortar or can grind or leave whole according to personal preference
- 2 ts sesame oil for drizzling
- 2 each spring onions sliced for garnish (green parts only)
Sauce
- 2 ts light soy sauce can sub regular soy sauce
- 2 ts black vinegar
- 1 ts sugar
- 6 tablespoon chicken stock
Instructions
- Cut off the the ends of the eggplant and then cut into thick slices. I do this by cutting the long eggplant into 4 equal pieces vertically widthwise, and then cutting each piece into 8 thick slices lengthwise. Then soak it in some salty water for around 15 minutes or so, using a plate to keep the pieces of eggplant under the water. Drain and then pat the pieces dry using paper towels.
- Add 3 cups of your vegetable oil to your wok, and turn the heat to high. Once the oil is super hot and shimmering, add the eggplant and deep fry until the eggplant softens, and becomes silky and slightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Remove and put the eggplant on paper towels to drain.
- Turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool for a bit, and then pour off all but 1 -2 tablespoons of the oil into a heat proof vessel. While the oil is cooling make your sauce by combining the light soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, and chicken broth in a small bowl. Set this sauce aside for now.
- Turn the heat back to high. Once very hot, add the minced pork to the pan and continue to stir fry until the pork turns crispy. This could take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, and the time may vary according to what type of cooking vessel you are using. Remove the crispy pork to a container lined with paper towels, and set aside for now.
- Lower the heat to medium heat. Add the Pixian Douban (broad bean paste) and the sauce consisting of light soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, and chicken broth to the wok, and stir fry for about 30 seconds.
- Now add the minced garlic and ginger and stir fry continuously to incorporate until fragrant (around 30 seconds).
- Next, add the eggplant and pork to the mix, finishing off by mixing in the tingly Sichuan peppercorn, Asian dried chilies, green onions, and drizzling with sesame oil.
- Behold your masterpiece!
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