Fish-Fragrant Eggplants (Sichuan Braised Eggplant With Garlic, Ginger, and Chiles)

Don't let the name fool you—there's no fish here. Instead, this Sichuanese eggplant classic is deeply flavored with garlic, ginger, and pickled chiles, aromatics that are often associated with fish cookery.

Braised Eggplant With Pork in Sichuan Sauce

Tender eggplant simmered in a sauce rich with chicken stock, Shaoxing wine, ground pork, and Sichuan fermented chili bean paste.

Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce, or "fish fragrant eggplant" (yuxiang qiezi) is a familiar and favorite dish in many Chinese restaurants and buffets!

Braised Eggplant With Tofu in Garlic Sauce

Braised Eggplant with Garlic Sauce is a classic Sichuan dish that combines soft simmered eggplant, fermented soy beans, and a sweet, garlicky sauce. For this version, I like to add a few tablespoons of chopped up preserved mustard root and incorporate the garlic in a couple of ways: first, by cooking whole smashed cloves in oil to infuse it with flavor (I discard the cooked whole cloves), as well as sliced thin and sauteed along with the other aromatics.

Grilled Chinese Eggplant with Garlic and Ginger Sauce

I tend to find eggplant either crazy delicious, like these eggplant spirals, or totally off putting. I couldn't quite put my finger on why until I tried out this recipe for Chinese eggplant with a garlic and ginger sauce. I...

Braised Eggplant With Garlic and Basil

Tender chunks of eggplant braised with garlic, chilies, soy sauce and finished with a flourish of fresh basil for a satisfying yet easy summer dish.

Chinese Eggplant Salad

A bright and spicy side dish.

Chinese-style Steamed Eggplant with Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil

A common Chinese cold dish. The idea is to scoop out the flesh after steaming and toss it in oil, vinegar, and whatever other seasonings you have on hand.

Chinese Eggplant With Sweet Ginger-Miso Paste

A sweet ginger-miso sauce settled into all the canyons created by scoring a criss-cross pattern into Chinese eggplants and grilling them until very tender. The eggplant and paste melded into one creamy concoction that had a nice balance between a mild miso flavor, sweetness, and a little bite from the ginger.

Stir-fried Eggplant, Potatoes & Peppers (Di San Xian)

Di San Xian (地三鲜) is a well-known Shandong China dish consisting of stir-fried eggplant, potatoes, and peppers. The Di San Xian dish's poetic name is roughly translated to “three earthly bounties."