Calling all you Eggplant lovers out there! Here’s a flavor bomb you won’t want to miss – Spicy Chinese Eggplant with Szechuan Sauce -a tasty, easy vegan dinner recipe you can serve over jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, rice noodles, black rice or even quinoa! See 45-second video!
The other day, I bought some beautiful Chinese eggplant at the farmers market and was going through the list of asian eggplant recipes in my mind, when I remembered a stunning dish we had in Shanghai a few years back, and dug up my old recipe notes.
There it was in BOLD – Spicy Chinese Eggplant with Szechuan Sauce with a huge star and circle around it – a reminder to share it with you! So here it is, and boy is this tasty! I can’t wait for you to give it a go. The eggplant is succulent and flavorful, a fun way to cook it! For more delicious ways to cook with eggplant, please take a peek at our 20+ Best Eggplant Recipes.
How to make Chinese Eggplant | 30-Second Video!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Chinese EggplanT!
- Perfect Texture – The eggplant is deliciously caramelized with crispy charred edges. It is crispy, not soggy and uses a minimum amount of oil.
- Amazing Flavor– spicy, garlicky, subtly sweet. Better then a restaurant!
- It is vegan– It makes a light main dish or a great side dish. For extra protein serve it with our crispy tofu!
- It’s adaptable! Feel free to use this same technique with other vegetables- or add zucchini or bell peppers.
Chinese Eggplant Ingredient Notes
- Chinese or Japanese eggplant- both are long and slender, with few seeds, and hold up well in stir fries.
- Dried Red Chilies- Keep in mind, you never eat these chilies– they just give the oil a little spicy heat, permeating the whole dish. They are quite spicy!
- Szechuan Sauce– A magical combination of Szechuan peppercorns, ginger, garlic, vinegar, garlic chili paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, 5-spice and sweetener. Feel free to use gluten-free liquid aminos. The Szechuan Peppercorns are zingy and numbing, an acquired taste, for sure! Feel free to use black peppercorns instead if you prefer.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Chinese Eggplant:
STEP ONE– It starts with cutting the eggplant into bite-sized pieces. Cut at a diagonal so each piece is like a triangle, about an inch thick at its thickest end. Try to get get them roughly the same size for even cooking. Cut a wedge then turn the eggplant, cut again and turn.
Tip: This works best with Japanese eggplant ( long and skinny) versus globe eggplant.
STEP TWO– Once all the eggplant are cut ( 4 x 10-inch eggplants), place in a bowl of salted water for 20 minutes. Cover with a plate so the eggplant is submerged. Let sit 20-30 mins.
TIP: Salting the eggplant helps the eggplant soak up less oil when stir-frying.
STEP THREE- Mise en place ( get things prepped and ready). While the eggplant soaks, prep the garlic, ginger and Szechuan sauce and place them by the stove.
STEP FOUR– Drain the eggplant, rinse, then pat dry with a kitchen towel. Then coat in cornstarch. This helps the eggplant get crispy.
STEP FIVE– Sear the eggplant over medium high heat in an extra-large flat skillet, versus a round wok. The eggplant need a little time to cook through and get each side brown. It is much easier to do this in a flat skillet.
Sear each side of the eggplant pieces. Fry in two batches, and this is where you will need a little patience. Each batch will take about 10 minutes, and require to turn the eggplant over one by one to get each side golden. When the eggplant pieces are deeply golden, even slightly charred, set them aside.
STEP SIX– Stir fry the ginger and garlic for a quick minute then add the chilies. Make sure to have your fan on! (Keep in mind, you never eat these chilies– they just give the oil a little spicy heat, permeating the whole dish.)
Pour in the prepped Szechuan sauce. Cook it for 20 seconds then add the Eggplant back into the skillet, gently coating. This will smell and taste amazing!
What To Serve With Chinese Eggplant
TO SERVE- Place the fragrant eggplant in a serving dish, or divide among bowls over Jasmine rice, brown rice, black rice or quinoa and top with green onions or chives and roasted peanuts.
Chinese Eggplant FAQS
Yes the skin is completely edible and has a lot of nutrients.
Chinese eggplant is thin and long with fewer seeds which makes it less bitter and some say it is slightly sweet. The plants tend to be prolific producers.
The most common eggplant is globe eggplant it is bigger and fleshier.
Coming from the Sichuan Provence in Southwestern China, Szechuan cuisine is usually spicy and contains ingredients such as: dried red chilies, Szechuan peppercorns, ginger, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, 5-spice, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, to name a few.
Chinese Eggplant is called Oriental Charm or Pingtung Long. Long and skinny with with fewer seeds they are less bitter and will hold its shape when cooked in stir fries.
Make this Chinese Eggplant soon, while eggplants are still available at your farmer’s market! Enjoy!
xoxo Sylvia
More Recipes You May Enjoy
- Szechuan Asparagus with Garlic, Ginger and Chilies
- Kung Pao Noodles!
- Chinese Five Spice
- Moo Shu Tofu
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
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Szechuan Eggplant
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main, vegan
- Method: stovetop, stir-fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Chinese Eggplant with Szechuan Sauce with chilies and peanuts– a tasty, easy vegan dinner recipe! Serve with Rice, black rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa or rice noodles.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs Japanese Eggplant (about 4 x 10 inch eggplants)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- bowl of water
- —-
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2–4 tablespoons peanut oil ( or wok oil)
- —
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger, finely minced
- 5–10 dried red chilies
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns ( or sub regular peppercorns)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic chili paste ( or sub 1 teaspoon chili flakes)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (or mirin)
- 3 tablespoons sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup or alternative
- 1/2 teaspoon five spice
Garnish with scallions and roasted peanuts or Peanut Chili crunch
Instructions
- Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch thick half-moons or into bite-sized pieces ( see photos). Place in a big bowl covered with water and stir in 2 teaspoons salt. Cover with a plate and let stand 20-30 minutes.
- In the meantime, chop the garlic and ginger and make the Szechuan Sauce.
- To make the Szechuan Sauce: Toast the Szechuan peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Crush. Place these along with the remaining ingredients ( soy, chili paste, sesame oil, rice vinegar, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, and five spice) in a small bowl and whisk. Set by the stove.
- Drain and rinse the eggplant and pat dry with a towel. Toss with the corn starch.
- Working in 2 batches, heat 1 -2 tablespoons oil in an extra-large skillet over medium heat. Add half the eggplant spreading them out. You want to get both sides nice and golden, and the insides cooked through -so take your time here and dont rush this step. Let one side brown then turn them over using tongs. This will take about 10 minutes for each batch. ( If in a hurry sometimes I’ll use 2 pans.) Set the eggplant aside.
- Add 1 more tablespoon oil to the skillet, and over medium heat, add the garlic and ginger, stirring for 2 minutes. Turn the fan on, add the dried chilis and stir one minute.
- Pour the Szechuan sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer for 20 seconds. Add the eggplant back into the skillet, tossing gently for about 30 seconds. Don’t over-reduce, or it will get salty. If it seems dry, add a tablespoon of water to loosen.
- Place in a serving dish and top with scallions and optional peanuts.
- Serve with rice, cauliflower rice, black rice or rice noodles.
Notes
Be patient browning each side of the eggplant. This will take a little time but reward you greatly.
I’ve found that the flat surface of a skillet, verses using a wok is much easier to use to get those sides golden.
Feel free to sub cashews for the peanuts, of leave off completely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 323
- Sugar: 17.8 g
- Sodium: 1110.4 mg
- Fat: 21.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.6 g
- Fiber: 7.4 g
- Protein: 5.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
OMG! Yummy! I subscribe to weekly CSA food box and Japanese eggplant was included. I searched the Web for a recipe and found YOU! This is my second time using this recipe and I am hooked! The ingredients, texture, etc. Yes, it is somewhat time consuming BUT the end result is definitely worth the time and effort! This is the second time I used this recipe Thank you!!
Thanks Diane!!!
Is there any way to use normal eggplant for this? It’s what I have in the fridge. Maybe putting salt on the eggplant and leave for 30 minutes and blotting the water? I’m not sure if it will be good but wanted to try your recipe.
Hi Wendy you could give it a try. Cut pieces 3/4 inch thick. 🙂
Very Easy recipe. Was surprised by the amount of flavor. Thanks
This was just so good. i was so impressed with the fact i managed to make it! I have been longing for the ‘Hole-In-The-Wall’ Chinese place down the road to get back into gear once Lockdown is over. This eggplant recipe creates an almost identical version for the interim and thanks for the tips on the sichuan sauce. YUM. Only thing I would do differently next time is remember to disable the smoke alarm!!!
I made this tonight and, while the taste is very good, it’s incredibly salty, almost to the point of being inedible. I’d be curious how it would turn out if the eggplant could be rinsed or some other strategy to reduce the salt. Also, I think the sauce to vegetable ratio is a bit high and could benefit from some additional veggies. Finally, there is mention of stir frying onion at the very top of this page but onion is not included in the ingredients list. I’d try this again with some revisions.
Hi Rob- sorry, I don’t see the onion you are referring to? Did you soak the eggplant in salted water? Or did you just salt it?
“Stir fry the onion and garlic for a quick minute then add the chilies. Make sure to have your fan on!” Underneath the photo where you add in garlic and chilis. I saw that too, but I am not sure if it made or difference or not.
Got it thanks!
This was amazing and as mentioned in the post, the eggplant texture is fabulous. I substituted a one or two spice ingredients in the Szechuan sauce (as I’m quarantine cooking so limited to what’s in the pantry) and added soft silken tofu – it was so delish! Thank you for a new vegan keeper recipe that I can make for the family.
Super dish! Whole family loved it, didn’t soak the eggplant though.
Amazing! Took a bit of time but was absolutely worth it, even with a few substitutions in the recipe. Will be making again!
Amazing!!!!! My mom loved too, it was so good. Improvised since I didn’t have Kirin or five spice but still had a great taste. My new secret weapon =)
Great recipe! Reduced the chili since my wife can’t take spicy food. The family loved it so much that they requested that I cook it once more just 2 days later.
Yay! glad you liked it!
I was worried it wouldn’t be as good without the broad bean paste (Doubanjiang), but you can’t tell. Delicious!
My husband is Chinese and all he kept saying is yum!
Thank you for posting your delicious recipe.
Awesome! great to hear!
Wow, it is really fabulous; I added cubes of firm tofu , made the same as eggplant, and it was spectacular. Thank you so much; do not need to go anymore to my fav Szechuan restaurant.
I improvised somewhat ( no peppercorns or sesame oil ) but the result was still great.
Glad you liked this Vickie!
Oh boy. This is excellent. This is one recipe that you should really read the tips. If you read it all the way through you’ll be so glad you did. I had to make due with some substitutions – as I didn’t have all the authentic ingredients on hand – and it still turned out beautifully. Restaurant quality taste. Thank you for this lovely vegan recipe. I can’t wait to add it to my rotation and gather more goodies for my pantry. YUM.
Thanks and so happy you liked it!
This recipe is excellent. I couldn’t get my eggplant that crispy as I am trying to get down on calories so I did not use as much oil, but it was still delicious. I am definitely using this sauce on chicken, beef, and noodles. Do yourself a favor and get the szchechuan peppercorns.
Glad you like this!
So great, tasted better than at a restaurant, thanks for sharing the recipe!!
Thanks so much Ari, Glad you enjoyed!
Awesome recipe. I watched a youtube video where the presenters were laughing about eating eggplant until they moved to China This is great.
Hello from Germany! Can u suggest a different vegetable? My family doesnt like eggplants! 🙁 The sauce sounds really really good and I would like to test it out.
You could do a veggie stir-fry? Or green beans, Zucchini, Bell pepper, Snow peas- any quick-cooking veggies will work here.
This was INSANELY good! I made it and added some torn Thai basil on top, too, for a little extra brightness in the flavor. I am definitely adding this recipe to my rotation. A++++
Another amazing recipes! It was delicious and we ate the leftovers. The only thing I added was asparagus at the end for color, a little crunch and some other flavor. All your recipes come out looking just like the photos. Love the weekly newsletter.
This is a brilliant recipe for eggplant lovers. My husband raved. None remained. I did make the peanut crunch and although, not necessary, it added a welcome layer of flavor, crunch, and spice. Many years ago, we feasted on an eggplant dish at a Thai restaurant in Volcano Village on the Big Island. I’ve dreamed of that recipe ever since. So many years have passed that I no longer remember the exact flavor, but, I do believe this is it’s closest incarnation. (As an aside: I did not treat the eggplant to the brine bath. I know that conventional culinary wisdom recommends this. Each time over many decades that I have performed this ritual, it has failed me, resulting in soggier eggplant. Low and slow works for me every time. No bitterness, great texture. Who knows, perhaps the laws of culinary physics cease to exist on my stove?!) You are right that a longer cook without too much crowding in the pan delivers a delicious result. Thanks for the keeper! Kudos!
Wow, was this tasty! I doubled the sauce and used half for the eggplant and the other half with grilled boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This recipe will be part of my regular rotation. Thank you Sylvia for such creative, healthy and fabulously delicious recipes!
Great to hear- thanks!
Sooo good–as always!
I missed the instructions for toasting/grinding the peppercorns & being flustered at that, then missed the prep order of peppers, garlic & ginger. Had to redo that section & fish all the peppercorns & garlic out of the raw sauce. Oops.
But very tasty & really satisfying.
This eggplant dish is better than anything I’ve ever had in any Asian restaurant. The sauce is so flavorful and it has just the right amount of heat from the chili and the Szechuan peppercorn. Sylvia scales all of her recipes to double or triple size which is helpful because I’ll definitely double the recipe next time. I added some chopped cilantro to mine and next time (which will be soon) I’m going to try the peanut chili crunch that Sylvia suggested.
Awesome! Great to hear and happy you enjoyed it!
Solid recipe Sylvia. Pressure soaking the eggplant in salt really made a difference, as did covering them in corn starch before frying. I have been making mine in the wok for years but the non-stck frying pan produced much better results. I added a little sweet soybean sauce to the Szechuan mix and BOOM! Exploded with flavor. Thank you very much.