Yu-xiang Qie-zi - Eggplant with Yu-xiang Sauce

Yu-xiang Qie-zi - Eggplant with Yu-xiang Sauce

Use small Japanese eggplant with skins left on. If you can't find them, regular large eggplants will do. Anything cooked Yu-xiang style will be amazing but eggplant in this style is a marriage made in heaven. Rather than the traditional deep-frying of the eggplant pieces, this recipe simplifies things by soaking them in salted water before stir-frying them in a tiny bit of oil.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Brunch, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese, Sichuan, Western China

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Soaqking: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Wok or large skillet
small saucepan

Ingredients

4 long Japanese or Asian eggplants (or 1 large eggplant)
¼ cup Kosher salt
2 small Red chilies, sliced thin
3 tbsp White vinegar
2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
1 tsp Cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water to make a slurry
4 tbsp Peanut oil
5 cloves Garlic, minced
4 tsp Fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 stalk Scallion, whites thinly sliced, green parts cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tbsp Doubanjiang (broad bean hot chili paste)
1 tsp Toasted sesame oil

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Instructions

Prepare - Quarter eggplants lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 3 to 4-inch "fingers". Place eggplants skin-side up and ¼ cup kosher salt in a large bowl. Cover with water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and gently pat dry.
Heat white vinegar in a small saucepan until simmering. Add red chilies and let sit for 5 minutes off the heat. Add wine, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Stir in cornstarch slurry until dissolved completely.
Cook - Heat oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Reduce heat to medium and add eggplant. Stir-fry until softened and well browned on all sides. Push eggplant up sides of wok and turn heat to high. Add garlic, ginger and scallions. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add doubanjiang and stir-fry another 30 seconds. Stir sauce in saucepan to dislodge any sugar or cornstarch stuck to the bottom and pour into wok. Mix everything together and stir-fry until the sauce has thickened, about 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve hot with rice.

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