This Chinese eggplant with minced pork is one of the most popular dishes in Chinese households. The eggplant is stir-fried in light oil, then braised in a Szechuan sauce mixture until flavorful and tender. This Chinese recipe is much better than Chinese takeout and is a fun recipe to start with if newer to making Asian cuisine!
Chinese Eggplant with Minced Pork
If you have stumbled upon the fresh Chinese eggplant at a local market and don't yet know what to do with it then try out this recipe! The Panda Express Chinese Eggplant dish is similar to Chinese eggplant dishes you’ll find on the menu at other Chinese restaurants, and the below recipe has a similar taste to them.
In my recipe, the Chinese eggplant with minced pork is cooked in a savory Sichuan sauce. It has a perfect amount of spiciness and light sweetness.
So, let's talk about some of the main ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious Chinese eggplant with minced pork.
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Chinese Eggplant vs Regular Eggplant:
The Chinese eggplant is part of the nightshade family. Compared to a "regular" eggplant, the Chinese eggplant has thinner skin, a longer shape, is skinnier, has fewer seeds and is a less bitterness. Overall, it has a more delicate flavor.
Do I need to soak Chinese Eggplant in salted water?
Soaking an eggplant in salted water is a pretty common cooking preparation, as it reduces the bitterness and prevents it from soaking in too much oil and becoming greasy. This technique is really useful if you are going to stir fry.
In this minced pork with eggplant recipe we are going to fry the eggplant in a small amount of oil, then braise it in a soy broth mixture, and lastly slow cook it until it absorbs all of the flavors and becomes tender. For that reason, salting the eggplant in salted water is optional. Personally I prefer to skip this step to save time, and I really don't think it affects the flavor of the dish.
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Minced Pork:
The minced pork is a nice addition to the dish. I think it improved the flavor and turned this into a complete meal in a one-pot because of its protein content.
Minced pork is tasty, versatile, and very inexpensive. It has almost 30 times more Vitamin B1 than minced beef. It's also often cheaper and a lower-fat option to beef. Best of all, it takes only a few minutes to cook in a skillet, making this dish perfect for your busy weeknights.
Szechuan Sauce:
The flavorful Szechuan sauce (or Sichuan sauce) is used to braise the pork. To make the Sichuan sauce, you will need Sichuan peppercorn, soy sauce, black vinegar, broth, and Shaoxing cooking wine.
I also used the oyster sauce to add a savory flavor to the dish. It's a staple condiment in Chinese cooking and commonly used in stir fry dishes.
To add spiciness to the dish, I also used a small amount of Chili Garlic sauce. It's widely available in markets, both traditional and International. Target, Ralph's (or Kroger), Von's, Walmart are some examples of stores where you can find Chili Garlic sauce.
Chinese black vinegar is commonly used in Chinese stir-frys, braises, and sauces. It's a dark and complex (yet milder) vinegar made of glutinous rice and malt. It is pretty similar to balsamic vinegar. You can purchase the product in any Asian grocers. I personally bought mine from a local Ralph's store (Kroger). As an alternative, you can use rice wine vinegar.
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How to Braise Chinese Eggplant:
Now, let's talk about the cooking process. It's actually quite simple.
- First, you will need to stir fry the pork in a wok.
- Second, stir fry the eggplant in the oil for a few minutes.
- Third, braise the eggplant by cooking it slowly in the Szechuan sauce.
- Last, add the extra seasoning needed and continue cooking until the eggplant builds the flavor and becomes tender.
Chinese Eggplant with Minced Pork
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chinese eggplant , (*see notes)
- ¾ pound minced pork
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger root
- 1 tbsp fresh Sichuan peppercorn
Sichuan-style Sauce:
- ¼ cup broth
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup Shaoxing Wine, (*see notes)
- 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar, known as Chinkiang or Zhenjiang vinegar, (*see notes)
- 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce, (or use about 1 tbsp fresh chopped red chilies or more)
- 4 tsp white sugar
- ½ tbsp oyster sauce
Toppings:
- fresh chopped scallions
Instructions
Preparation:
- Wash the eggplants and trim off the stem ends. Slice into 2-inch lengths, and then cut lengthwise into ½-inch thick wedges.
- To make the sauce, in a bowl, stir together the stock, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, black vinegar, chili sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
- Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Remove from heat and use a spice grinder or mortar to grind the peppercorns. Set aside.
Cooking:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic and ginger, cook for a few seconds or just until fragrant.
- Add the pork and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add Sichuan peppercorn, stir for a few seconds.
- Add eggplant and stir fry until begins to brown for about 3 minutes.
Braising:
- Add the Sichuan-style sauce mixture. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium, cover the wok, stirring occasionally and braise the eggplant for about 7-10 minutes until just tender. Add broth if the mixture looks too dry. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Serving:
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a large plate. Add chopped green onions and serve with rice. Enjoy!
melissa chapman
This sounds so good and I am getting hungry from this description. I would love to try the chinese eggplant and it seems like a good addition to our meals.
Pam Wattenbarger
We have an eggplant that needs to be used. I think this recipe sounds-and looks- so good! I can't wait to try it.
Tasheena
This recipe looks so yummy. I can't wait to give it a try. I know my family is going to love it.
cait
ive never tried this before but it looks super delicious- maybe my husband would enjoy it this weekend!
Amber Myers
This looks so delicious! I will have to make it for dinner one night. I think everyone in the house will like it!
Melanie
I've never had eggplant before. I have a few recipes I've saved to use it with but I haven't made them yet.
Brianne Tursi Manz
I think this will be a hit with our family! It looks so good, and it seems easy to make.
Terri Steffes
What a fabulous tutorial. I am loving this dish, all my favorite ingredients. Thank you for helping me do it successfully!
Chef Dennis
This Chinese eggplant with minced pork is making me super hungry! I can hear my tummy growl. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Ruth I
I am sure I can eat this all day. Super simple to prepare and finish of course. Love this a lot!
Lynndee
That looks good! I love eggplant and the thinner eggplant is definitely better than what they have at the supermarkets here in the U.S. 🙂
Melissa Dixon
Wow this looks like a really good meal. I need to try to make this one for the family, I bet they would not even know how healthy it is because it looks so good.
Kathy
This looks like it would be amazing. It has been a while since I've had eggplant. I love it though. I will have to try this out.
Rena
Believe it or not I've never eaten eggplant in my life but this would be the dish to tempt me to try it. It looks delicious!
Dhemz
oh, my! That looks super tasty. I can wait to grow some chinese eggplant this year. Thanks for sharing!
Beth
This looks delicious! I think my family would love this.
Barbies Beauty Bits
Looks and sound yummy! And adding Szechuan sauce is such a plus. I love a little kick!!!
cassk
Delicious! I added fresh black fungus for the crunch and some sliced red chillies for colour as I didn't have scallions available.
Rika
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Cassk! I love the idea of adding fresh black fungus and extra chilies! It sounds delicious!
Best,
Rika
Joyce C. Szoladi
Sauce was really good, but a bit runny. Other recipes I've used dredged the eggplant in cornstarch, then fried it to brown, that seemed to thicken the sauce a bit.. Eggplant was a little bitter, so I think salting and draining it would have helped. I used baby eggplants.
Rika
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback, Joyce!