I like Sichuan cuisine, particularly spicy dishes made with doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorns. One dish I regularly cook is spicy eggplant (鱼香茄子), a delicious Chinese eggplant recipe.

The flavor is fantastic with the interplay of Sichuan ingredients—doubanjiang, Sichuan peppercorns, black vinegar, and plenty of chopped ginger and fresh garlic. Although the cooking is relatively straightforward, the eggplant can lose its vibrant color quickly and become overly oily if not cooked properly. Over the years, I have tried different ways and successfully tackled this problem. Therefore, I want to share these tricks on retaining the eggplant’s color and reducing the oiliness after deep-frying.

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Ingredients required for spicy eggplant 

• Eggplants. I usually use Chinese eggplants, but I occasionally choose Japanese eggplants, as both are available in the local market. However, any type of eggplant, including globe eggplants, should work well in this dish. 
• Ground meat. The most common meat for this dish is pork, but chicken is also suitable if you don’t eat pork. When using pork, it’s best to include some fat, about 25% to 30% fat content, rather than using only lean meat, as the fat helps keep the ground pork tender and flavorful. 
• Seasoning. The main seasoning is Doubanjiang (chili bean paste), which is made from chili and broad beans. It is the key seasoning in Sichuan cuisine and is used in almost all Chinese recipes. I also use Sichuan peppercorns, which impart a unique numbing sensation on the tongue. Other seasonings include black vinegar, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce. 
• The aromatics. This aromatic flavor of spicy eggplant comes from the combination of chopped ginger, garlic, green onion (white section), and dried chili.

How to prepare Sichuan-style spicy eggplant 

The cooking and preparation can be divided into two main steps:

a. How to cook the eggplant 

1. First, remove both ends of the eggplant and cut it into long strips about two inches (5 cm) long. I always cut them so that each piece of the eggplant is with skin for a more appealing presentation.

2. Put the eggplant in the pot and fill it with just enough water to submerge them. Then, add a tablespoon of salt to the water and mix well. Let it sit for 15 minutes. (Please refer to the tip section below for the reason for this step.)

3. After 15 minutes, wash away the salt and place the eggplant pieces in the colander to drain. Then, wipe them with a dry cloth and put them on a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. This is important because we do not want them to splatter too much while deep-frying with oil.

4. Heat any vegetable oil with a high smoking point (peanut oil, canola oil, corn oil) to 180°C/355°F. Add the eggplants and deep-fry for about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and arrange them in a single layer on a paper towel to drain.

b. Prepare the meat sauce 

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and add one teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorns. Temper the red Sichuan peppercorn over low heat for about one minute until the flavors develop. Then, let the oil pass through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the peppercorns.

2. Use the peppercorn-flavored oil to sauté the chopped fresh garlic, ginger, green onions, and dried chili peppers. Saute for one minute over medium-high heat until the flavor is noticeable.

3. Add the ground pork to the large pan and mix well with the aromatics. Stir and fry the pork for about 5 minutes until it is fully cooked and starts to dry out. Turn to medium-high heat to further fry the pork and develop bold flavors as it turns slightly brown.

4. Add the sauce ingredients, including chili bean paste, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and cooking wine.

5. Return the deep-fried eggplant to the pan and mix well with the meat sauce. Garnish with chopped red pepper, dried chili, and green onions.

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Spicy Garlic (Sichuan Style)

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This spicy eggplant recipe keeps the eggplant bright and delicious while using less oil. The meat sauce has a rich flavor, and the eggplant has a tender texture.

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Ingredients

• 600g (1.3 pound) eggplant
• 200g ground pork
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger
• 1 tbsp chopped green onion
• 2 dried chilies
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang
• 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• Red chili and green onion to garnish
• Oil for deep frying

Instructions

How to cook the eggplant 

1. Remove both ends of the eggplant and cut it into long strips about two inches (5 cm) long.
2. Put the eggplant in the pot and fill it with just enough water to submerge them. Then, add a tablespoon of salt to the water and mix well. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes, wash away the salt and place the eggplant pieces in the colander to drain. Then, wipe them with a dry cloth and put them on a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. 
4. Heat vegetable oil to 180 degrees Celsius. Add the eggplants and deep-fry for about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove them and arrange them in a single layer on a paper towel to drain.

For the meat sauce 

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and add one teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorns. Temper the Sichuan peppercorn over low heat for about one minute until the flavors develop. Then, let the oil pass through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the peppercorns.
2. Use the peppercorn-flavored oil to sauté the chopped fresh garlic, ginger, green onions, and dried chili peppers. Saute for one minute over medium-high heat until the flavor is developed
3. Add the ground pork to the large pan and mix well with the aromatics. Stir and fry the pork for about 5 minutes until it is fully cooked and starts to dry out. Turn to medium-high heat to further fry the pork and develop bold flavors as it turns slightly brown.
4. Add the sauce ingredients, including chili bean paste, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and cooking wine.
5. Return the deep-fried eggplant to the pan and mix well with the meat sauce.
6. Garnish with chopped red pepper, dried chili, and green onions.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 445Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 760mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 6gSugar: 10gProtein: 20g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 4/3/2025

Tips to retain the purplish color and reduce the oiliness of the eggplants

1. Soaking the eggplant in salt water removes as much moisture as possible from its porous structure. This step helps minimize oil absorption during deep frying, which can make the eggplant taste oily and require more tablespoons of oil. 
2. After cooking for a few minutes, the eggplant’s purplish hue will fade. That’s why I deep-fry it over high heat for just one and a half minutes. This method is very effective in retaining its vibrant hue. Moreover, fully submerging the eggplant in oil during deep frying prevents further oxidation and discoloration. 
3. Another key to preserving the eggplant’s purplish color is not to stir-fry it with the sauce for too long. The color fades when it is cooked with this sauce, which contains vinegar and wine and lowers its pH. That is why I deep-fried the eggplant first and briefly combined it with the meat sauce in the pan without further stir-frying. 
4. I prefer to temper the Sichuan peppercorn in oil and remove it, as I do not like biting it while eating. However, leave it in the sauce if you do not mind. Another option is to use ground Sichuan peppercorn. 
5. You might notice that I do not use salt. This is because the Doubanjiang itself is salty. I suggest performing a taste test before removing the eggplants from the pan and adding more Doubanjiang should you find it is not salty enough.

How to keep the leftover 

If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I generally do not recommend making a large batch and storing the remaining portion in the freezer for a long time. If you reheat it, the eggplant will likely lose its color further, making it less presentable.

What is best to serve with the spicy eggplant 

This spicy eggplant dish has a strong and spicy flavor. As a result, it is best served with something plain, such as white rice.

Since it is a complete main course with meat and vegetables, it can be considered a one-pot meal. If you prefer more variety for your lunch or dinner, you can prepare some Chinese food such as lotus root soup and a stir-fried vegetable side dish to complement the spicy eggplant dish.