Fish Fragrant Eggplant Rice (魚香茄子飯) is a cozy, flavour-packed rice bowl made with soft, silky eggplant and minced pork, coated in a rich savoury “fish fragrant” sauce. It’s a simple dish to make at home and tastes delicious and comforting, especially when served over a bowl of hot steamed rice.
Table of Contents
- What is Fish Fragrant Eggplant Rice?
- Key Ingredients
- How to Make Fish Fragrant Eggplant Rice
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fish Fragrant Eggplant Rice?
If you’ve ever seen Fish Fragrant Eggplant (魚香茄子, or yu heung ke zi in Cantonese) and assumed it contains fish, it actually doesn’t! The “魚香”, which translates to “fish fragrant”, refers to a classic Sichuan flavour profile that’s garlicky, sweet, tangy and slightly spicy.
What goes into it?
The dish features soft, silky eggplant cooked with minced pork and coated in a rich, savoury sauce. It’s kinda similar to mapo tofu, as it also uses doubanjiang (chilli bean paste) for spice and savouriness.
Cantonese variations (and my version)
Some Cantonese variations of Fish Fragrant Eggplant in restaurants add salted fish to give it a real “fish fragrant” flavour.
In my version, I use a small amount of canned anchovies instead, a hack my dad taught me. It gives a similar savoury depth while being a lot more accessible.
Why I don’t deep fry the eggplant
In restaurants, the eggplant is usually deep-fried first to help retain its bright purple colour.
But since we’re making a home version, I prefer to steam it instead. It’s less hassle, uses less oil, and still gives you that soft, silky texture.
Key Ingredients
Here are a few key ingredients to note. You’ll find the full ingredient list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Anchovies as the “fish fragrant”
Traditionally, some Cantonese versions use salted fish to bring that deep, savoury umami and give the dish its “fish fragrant” flavour.
In my version, I use a small amount of canned anchovies (in olive oil) instead, a simple hack my dad taught me. They melt into the sauce and add that same savoury depth and a slightly “fishy” aroma, but in a way that’s much more accessible and easier to find than salted fish.
I recommend starting with 2–3 anchovies (around 20g) and tasting as you go, as they can be quite strong and may overpower the dish or make it too salty, especially once the rest of the stir-fry seasonings are added.
Eggplant
Eggplant is the star of the dish, because it turns soft and silky and soaks up the sauce like a sponge!
I prefer to use Chinese eggplant if I can find it from Asian supermarkets, because it has a beautiful vibrant purple colour and is less bitter. But regular eggplant works just as well.
Instead of deep frying, I steam the eggplant on high heat for 10–15 minutes, until it’s soft and you can easily poke through it with a fork or chopstick. It makes the entire dish lighter and healthier, while still giving you a soft silky texture.
Stir-fry sauce
The stir-fry sauce is what brings everything together and gives the dish its signature Sichuan flavour and glossy finish.
Doubanjiang (Chinese chilli bean paste) is essential for that deep, savoury and slightly spicy base, but be careful not to use too much as it’s already quite salty, especially with the anchovies in this version.
The sauce is a simple mix of light soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, Shaoxing cooking wine, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water. It’s added at the end so everything gets evenly coated, then thickened with a cornstarch slurry into a glossy sauce that clings to the eggplant and is perfect over rice.
How to Make Fish Fragrant Eggplant Rice
1) Prep the aromatics
Prepare all your aromatics first: dice the shallot, mince the garlic and ginger, and chop the green onions.
Slice the eggplant last or just before cooking, as it oxidises quickly and can darken if left out too long.
2) Steam the eggplant
Arrange the eggplant on a plate and steam on high heat for about 10 minutes, until soft and easily pierced with a fork or chopstick.
3) Cook the pork and base flavours
Heat a wok over high heat and add cooking oil. Add the shallot, garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry for about a minute until fragrant.
Add the minced pork and cook until browned and fully cooked through.
Add the anchovies along with 1 tablespoon of the anchovy oil, and stir to break them down into the mixture.
4) Toss everything together
Add all the stir-fry sauce ingredients and cook for about a minute, allowing the pork to absorb the flavours.
Add the steamed eggplant and toss everything together for another minute until well coated.
5) Finish and serve!
Pour in the water, then add the cornstarch slurry. Stir until the sauce thickens and turns glossy, coating everything evenly.
Serve immediately with steamed white rice and top with chopped green onions.
More Rice Bowl Dishes You’ll Love
- Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Rice
- 20-Minute Tomato Beef Egg Rice
- Instant Pot Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can swap the minced pork for minced chicken, turkey, or even tofu for a vegetarian version. If using tofu, go for firm tofu and crumble it so it mimics the texture of minced meat.
Chinese eggplants work best because they’re more tender and less bitter, but regular eggplant will also work. I also prefer Asian eggplants because they are more vibrant purple in colour!
Yes, steaming helps cook the eggplant first so it becomes soft and tender. If you add it straight into the stir-fry, it will take longer to cook and won’t turn out as tender. Simply steam on high heat for about 10 minutes, until you can easily pierce it with a chopstick or fork.
Eggplant oxidises quickly once cut. Try to slice it right before cooking, or keep it in water briefly to slow the browning.
Fish Fragrant Eggplant Rice (魚香茄子飯)
2
servings5
minutes25
minutesA simple Fish Fragrant Eggplant Rice (魚香茄子) recipe with soft eggplant, minced pork, and a savoury umami sauce. Comforting, flavourful and perfect with rice.
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Ingredients
450 g Chinese eggplant, cut into 1-inch thick strips
300 g minced pork
1 shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 slice ginger, minced
3 anchovies (~20g)
1 tbsp olive oil from anchovy can
1/4 cup water
Cornstarch slurry (3 tbsp water + 2 tsp cornstarch)
2 green onions, chopped (garnish)
- Stir-fry sauce:
1 tbsp doubanjiang
1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
Directions
- Prepare all your aromatics first: dice the shallot, mince the garlic and ginger, and chop the green onions. Slice the eggplant last or just before cooking, as it oxidises quickly and can darken if left out too long.
- Arrange the eggplant on a plate and steam on high heat for about 10 minutes, until soft and easily pierced with a fork or chopstick.
- Heat a wok over high heat and add cooking oil. Add the shallot, garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry for about a minute until fragrant.
- Add the minced pork and cook until browned and fully cooked through.
- Add the anchovies along with 1 tablespoon of the anchovy oil, and stir to break them down into the mixture.
- Add all the stir-fry sauce ingredients and cook for about a minute, allowing the pork to absorb the flavours.
- Add the steamed eggplant and toss everything together for another minute until well coated.
- Pour in the water, then add the cornstarch slurry. Stir until the sauce thickens and turns glossy, coating everything evenly.
- Serve immediately with steamed white rice and top with chopped green onions.
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