Fish-Fragrant Eggplant — Vegetarian (鱼香茄子)

Adapted from Bill (The Woks of Life). Vegetarian modifications: vegetable stock, vegetarian oyster sauce, no fish sauce, diced mushrooms in place of ground pork.

Ingredients

Sauce

• 120ml (½ cup) vegetable stock
• 16g (1 tbsp) spicy bean sauce (la doubanjiang 辣豆瓣酱) — the backbone of the dish
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp vegetarian oyster sauce (mushroom-based)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• ⅛ tsp white pepper

Stir-Fry

• 4 medium Japanese eggplants (approximately 565–680g / 1.25–1.5 lbs), cut into triangular pieces
• 3–4 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or avocado), divided
• 115g (4 oz) shiitake or king oyster mushrooms, very finely diced (3–4mm pieces)
• ½ tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 10 dried chilli peppers, adjust to heat preference
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, cut on a sharp angle into 5cm (2 inch) pieces — white and green parts separated
• 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water (slurry)

Instructions

1. Mix the sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.
2. Prep the eggplant. Trim the ends and cut into equal-sized triangular pieces.
3. Blister the eggplant. Heat wok over medium-high until hot. Add 1 tbsp oil and coat the wok. Add eggplant in a single layer and sear until browned on all sides, 7–10 minutes total. Add a little oil around the perimeter if it looks dry, or a splash of Shaoxing wine or water to help it along. Cook until tender. Set aside on a plate.
4. Brown the mushrooms. Increase heat to high until the wok just begins to smoke. Add 1 tbsp oil and the diced mushrooms. Cook with minimal stirring until they release their moisture and begin to brown and crisp, about 4–5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
5. Toast the aromatics. Reduce to medium heat. Add remaining oil, ginger, and dried chillies. Stir frequently for 1 minute until the chillies are toasted and fragrant.
6. Bring it together. Increase to high heat. Add garlic, white scallion parts, and browned mushrooms. Stir briefly, then add the seared eggplant and the pre-mixed sauce. Stir gently and cook for 1–2 minutes until the sauce comes to a simmer.
7. Thicken and finish. Stir the cornstarch slurry and add about half to the sauce. Stir until thickened. Add the green scallion parts. Adjust consistency — more slurry if too thin, a splash of water if too thick. Serve immediately over steamed rice.

Don’t skip the eggplant blister. Steamed or underdone eggplant turns watery and collapses the sauce. You want it silky and collapsed, but with colour on it first.

Mushroom browning requires patience. Resist stirring constantly — let the mushrooms sit against the hot wok surface to caramelise rather than steam. This is what gives them a meaty quality.

Scaling: If your eggplants are particularly large, scale the sauce by 1.5× to compensate.