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Sichuan · Chinese

Fish-fragrant aubergine

Vegetarian

魚香茄子 · yú xiāng qié zi

Silky aubergine in a sweet, sour and spicy sauce of chilli bean paste, garlic, ginger and vinegar. Despite the name there is no fish — 'fish-fragrant' refers to the seasoning.

Fish-fragrant aubergine is a Sichuan main course from China, ready in about 35 minutes and made with eggplant, pao jiao (sichuan pickled chillies) and chinese black vinegar. It serves 3 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Bowl of fish-fragrant aubergine stir-fried with red chilli
Photo: Popo le Chien / Wikimedia Commons · CC0-1.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Serves
3
Level
Easy
Calories
269

Ingredients

3 servings

Sauce

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the aubergine (opens in a new tab) with the salt and leave for 10 minutes, then pat dry. Mix the sauce ingredients.

    • 10 min

  2. Step 2

    Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok (opens in a new tab) and fry the aubergine (opens in a new tab) over medium-high heat, turning, until golden and soft right through. Remove.

    A splash of water and a lid for the last 2 minutes helps it soften without absorbing more oil.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the remaining oil, lower the heat and fry the chopped pickled chillies (opens in a new tab) until the oil turns red. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and spring onion (opens in a new tab) whites and fry until fragrant.

    • 2 min
    • medium-low heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Pour in the sauce, bring to a bubble, return the aubergine (opens in a new tab) and simmer for 2 minutes until glossy. Scatter over the spring onion (opens in a new tab) greens.

    • 3 min
    • medium heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Sichuan, China · Well documentedMore food from China
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Side dishes
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Braised
Taste
sweet & sour, spicy (chilli heat), garlicky
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Carb-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · One-pan
Cook more with
Eggplant · Chinese black vinegar · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Spring onion · Sugar
Techniques
Pan-frying · Simmering · Braising · Pickling

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom chinese black vinegar, soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom chinese black vinegar, soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

269 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 306 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 5%
  • Carbohydrate 36%
  • Fat 60%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy269 kcal88 kcal
Protein3.4 g1.1 g
Carbohydrate25.2 g8.2 g
Net carbohydrate18.4 g6 g
Sugars15.3 g5 g
Added sugars6.3 g2.1 g
Fibre6.8 g2.2 g
Fat18.7 g6.1 g
Saturated fat1.4 g0.5 g
Trans fat0.1 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium711 mg233 mg
Salt equivalent1.8 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
600 mg
Calcium
50 mg
Iron
1 mg
Magnesium
42 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
12 µg
Vitamin C
18 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
57 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Pao jiao (Sichuan pickled chillies): Raw red chilli used as a stand-in; pao jiao are chillies fermented in brine, so sodium is understated.
  • Chinese black vinegar: Balsamic vinegar (FDC 172241) used as a stand-in for Chinkiang/Zhenjiang black rice vinegar; both are dark, aged and slightly sweet.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Many cooks use some chilli bean paste alongside the pickled chillies for a deeper colour.
  • Salting and drying the aubergine first means it absorbs less oil.

Common mistakes

  • Undercooking the aubergine — it should be completely creamy inside.

Serve with

  • Serve with plain rice to soak up the sauce.

Storage

  • Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently in a pan or microwave.

Variations

  • With minced pork: Fry 100 g minced pork before the chilli bean paste for a heartier dish.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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