Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Recipe ⬇️ or print: recipetineats.com/chinese-eggplant-and-minced-pork
If you've ever tried to make this iconic Sichuan dish before and been disappointed by the lack of flavour, you can stop looking. This recipe is from our very own Chef Hannah (a chef in my food bank!) who comes from a family of chefs in the Sichuan province of China. You can't get more credible than that! - Nagi x
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Chinese eggplant and minced pork
Aka Fish fragrant eggplant (Yu Xiang Qie Zi)
1 cup vegetable oil* (see note for no-fry version)
1 large eggplant or 2 medium/small (450 to 500g), cut into 7 x 1.5cm batons (2.7 x 0.6″), skin on
100 g/3.5oz pork mince / ground pork
1 tbsp ginger, finely minced
1 1/2 tbsp garlic, finely minced
1 green onion, finely sliced, white & pale green part (for cooking) separated from the green part (garnish)
1 tsp Chinese pickled red chilli, or any pickled spicy peppers/chilli^
1 tbsp broad bean sauce^
SAUCE:
1 1/2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp honey
3 1/2 tsp black vinegar (sub 50/50 balsamic + rice vinegar)
1/3 cup water
SERVING:
Steamed white rice
1. Sauce – Mix cornflour with light sauce first, then mix in everything else.
2. Heat oil in wok to 180C/350F on high, fry half eggplant 4 min until soft and browned, remove onto paper towel lined tray. Repeat. Remove all but 2T oil.
3. Cook pork until no longer pink, add ginger, garlic, white part of green onion, cook 30 sec. Add pickled red chilli and broad bean sauce, cook 1 min
4. Add eggplant and half sauce. Simmer 45 sec until sauce starts to thicken, add rest of sauce, simmer 45 sec to 1 min until thickens (goal: thickness halfway between maple and honey).
5. Pour into serving bowl, sprinkle with green onion, serve with rice!
Notes
* Pan-steam eggplant: Heat 2 tbsp oil in non stick pan on high, lightly brown flesh of eggplan (90 sec each side), add 1/3 cup water, cover with lid, steam until soft. Remove, heat 2T oil in pan, proceed with recipe.
^ Pickled red chilli – chopped salted and pickled, sold at Asian stores. No Asian grocer nearby? Try one of these combos using supermarket ingredients. 92% as good – it’s amazing!
V1: 2 tsp miso paste + 3 tsp sambal oelek + 1 tsp chopped pickled hot peppers (like Hoyts)
V2: 1 tbsp chilli bean sauce* + 2 tsp chopped pickled hot peppers
Recipe ⬇️ or print: recipetineats.com/chinese-eggplant-and-minced-pork
If you've ever tried to make this iconic Sichuan dish before and been disappointed by the lack of flavour, you can stop looking. This recipe is from our very own Chef Hannah (a chef in my food bank!) who comes from a family of chefs in the Sichuan province of China. You can't get more credible than that! - Nagi x
––––––––––-
Chinese eggplant and minced pork
Aka Fish fragrant eggplant (Yu Xiang Qie Zi)
1 cup vegetable oil* (see note for no-fry version)
1 large eggplant or 2 medium/small (450 to 500g), cut into 7 x 1.5cm batons (2.7 x 0.6″), skin on
100 g/3.5oz pork mince / ground pork
1 tbsp ginger, finely minced
1 1/2 tbsp garlic, finely minced
1 green onion, finely sliced, white & pale green part (for cooking) separated from the green part (garnish)
1 tsp Chinese pickled red chilli, or any pickled spicy peppers/chilli^
1 tbsp broad bean sauce^
SAUCE:
1 1/2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp honey
3 1/2 tsp black vinegar (sub 50/50 balsamic + rice vinegar)
1/3 cup water
SERVING:
Steamed white rice
1. Sauce – Mix cornflour with light sauce first, then mix in everything else.
2. Heat oil in wok to 180C/350F on high, fry half eggplant 4 min until soft and browned, remove onto paper towel lined tray. Repeat. Remove all but 2T oil.
3. Cook pork until no longer pink, add ginger, garlic, white part of green onion, cook 30 sec. Add pickled red chilli and broad bean sauce, cook 1 min
4. Add eggplant and half sauce. Simmer 45 sec until sauce starts to thicken, add rest of sauce, simmer 45 sec to 1 min until thickens (goal: thickness halfway between maple and honey).
5. Pour into serving bowl, sprinkle with green onion, serve with rice!
Notes
* Pan-steam eggplant: Heat 2 tbsp oil in non stick pan on high, lightly brown flesh of eggplan (90 sec each side), add 1/3 cup water, cover with lid, steam until soft. Remove, heat 2T oil in pan, proceed with recipe.
^ Pickled red chilli – chopped salted and pickled, sold at Asian stores. No Asian grocer nearby? Try one of these combos using supermarket ingredients. 92% as good – it’s amazing!
V1: 2 tsp miso paste + 3 tsp sambal oelek + 1 tsp chopped pickled hot peppers (like Hoyts)
V2: 1 tbsp chilli bean sauce* + 2 tsp chopped pickled hot peppers
