Fish-Fragrant Eggplant
鱼香茄子
Silky eggplant in the famous "fish-fragrant" sauce that contains no fish — just a magical balance of garlic, ginger, vinegar, sugar, and doubanjiang.
📋 Ingredients
📝 Instructions
Prep the Eggplant
Cut eggplant into batons. Salt generously and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse and pat completely dry — this prevents them from absorbing too much oil.
Make the Sauce
Mix soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, and water. This is the "fish-fragrant" base — sweet, sour, spicy, and savory all at once.
Fry the Eggplant
Pan-fry (or shallow fry) eggplant batons until golden and softened. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Build the Aromatics
In the same pan, stir-fry doubanjiang, minced garlic, ginger, and scallions until fragrant — about 30 seconds.
Combine
Return eggplant to the pan. Pour in the sauce and toss until every piece is glossy and coated. The sauce should thicken and cling to the eggplant. Serve with rice.
