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Chinese Eggplant with Yuxiang Sauce (蒸茄子)
Tender steamed eggplant (蒸茄子) is absolutely delicious! There are so many ways to cook with the versatile vegetable, but my dad’s favorite technique is steaming. Not only is it quick and easy (no flipping and frying required!), it’s also very healthy.
This recipe is inspired by the classic Sichuanese dish Yuxiang Eggplant (魚香 茄子), but made with American, or globe, eggplant.
An expert chef’s recipe for Western eggplant, Chinese style
Eggplant with Garlic Sauce is a classic Chinese recipe that my dad has made hundreds of time and shared here on our blog. He usually makes it with long, thin Chinese eggplant, but we wanted to show that his technique and flavors can be done with other varieties, too. With his tips and tricks, you can turn any eggplant into a flavorful Chinese entree!
If you’re looking for more eggplant recipes, also try my dad’s Chinese Stuffed Eggplant.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 454g eggplant
- 2tsp rice vinegar
- 0.50 red bell pepper
- 2 stalk scallion
- 14.2g ginger
- 2 Thai bird’s eye chili
- 3 clove garlic
- 113g pork shoulder (or pork butt)
- 2tbsp vegetable oil
- 1tsp cooking wine
- 1tsp sesame oil
Pork Marinade
- 1tbsp cornstarch
- 2tbsp water
- 2tsp light soy sauce
Yuxiang Sauce
- 2tbsp light soy sauce
- 1tbsp oyster sauce
- 2tsp dark soy sauce
- 1tbsp rice vinegar
- 4tbsp water
Slurry Ingredients
- 1tsp cornstarch
- 1tbsp water
Understanding Flavor
On eggplant
To pick the perfect eggplant, first take a look at the stem. A ripe one will have leaves that are still green. Also opt for eggplant with shiny, blemish-free skin that’s smooth, not wrinkly, and one that’s evenly sized on both ends.
There are many, many varieties of eggplant. Chinese and Japanese eggplants are both long and narrow, but have slightly different colors. Chinese eggplant is usually lighter lavender color, while Japanese ones are a deeper violet. They have thin skin and little seeds, making them easy to prep and cook.
American eggplant is also known as globe eggplant because of its short, squat shape. They’re larger with dark purple skin that’s thick and tough and have flesh that’s firm and meaty. According to my dad, this makes them ideal for steaming.
Instructions
Prep - 20 minutes Total - 45 minutes
Step 1: Prep eggplant
Start by slicing off the ends of the eggplant (454 g). Peel off some of the skin, but not all. If you remove all of the skin, the eggplant will get too soft and soggy during cooking. Next, cut the eggplant into quarters. Slice down the center the long way, then halve again. You should have four slices per eggplant. Remove the core and seeds.
Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water and pour in the rice vinegar (2 tsp). Add the eggplant and allow it to soak as your prep the rest of the ingredients. This will help remove some of the vegetable’s natural bitterness.
Step 2: Prep aromatics
Dice half a red bell pepper. Cut the pepper in half (you can save the remaining half for other dishes!), then slice into thin strips. Rotate the strips, then cut into small squares.
Cut the scallions (2 stalk) to roughly the same size, reserving the green parts for garnish
Mince the ginger (14.2 g), then cut the chilies to roughly the same size as the scallions. You can add more if you prefer more spice.
Finally, mince the garlic (3 clove).
Step 3: Prep pork
Mince the pork (113 g). Cut the piece of meat into long pieces about a 1/4-inch thick. Rotate the strips 90 degrees and roughly chop until the meat is finely minced. You can also use ground pork.
Place the minced pork in a bowl and move it to one side. Add the cornstarch (1 tbsp), water (2 tbsp), and light soy sauce (2 tsp). Stir the marinade ingredients together first to thoroughly combine before mixing it with the pork. This will ensure that there are no clumps. Doing it this way in one bowl will also save you a dish!
To make vegetarian: Substitute with mushrooms or a plant-based meat of your choice.
Step 4: Prep sauce
In a separate bowl, mix together the light soy sauce (2 tbsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), dark soy sauce (2 tsp), rice vinegar (1 tbsp), and water (4 tbsp). Taste and adjust the sweetness and tartness levels according to your preference.
Use a small bowl to make the slurry. Stir together the cornstarch (1 tsp) and the water (1 tbsp), then set aside.
Step 5: Steam eggplant
Remove the eggplant from the water and squeeze out any excess liquid. Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch pieces. My dad likes to slice them at an angle. Place on the plate you plan to steam them in. Set aside.
Bring water to a boil in your steaming vessel of choice outfitted with a steaming rack. Once boiling, place the plate of eggplant on top of the rack and steam on high heat for 12 minutes.
Once done, remove the eggplant and pour out any excess liquid.
Step 6: Stir fry pork
Set a wok over high heat. Once hot, add in the cooking oil (2 tbsp). My dad uses vegetable oil in this recipe. Once the oil begins to smoke, add in the marinated pork and spread it out into a patty. Let it brown and fry for about 45 seconds before flipping the pork.
Add the chilies, garlic, ginger, and scallion whites. Stir fry all the ingredients together for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and continue to stir fry, breaking the pork up into pieces.
Turn the heat back on to medium. Add the cooking wine (1 tsp) and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the sauce mixture, followed by the red bell peppers and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of water if stir fry looks dry.
Give the slurry a quick stir, lower the heat, then slowly add it to the wok as your mix the pork. Turn off the heat and add the sesame oil (1 tsp).
Pour the stir-fried meat sauce evenly over the steamed eggplant, then garnish the the scallions greens.