This Vegan Sichuan Style Braised Aubergine is made with tender aubergines in a rich, spicy, savoury sauce. It's an easy Chinese-inspired recipe that is packed with bold flavours and ready in under an hour. Get the recipe below.
I love Sichuan cuisine. It's bold, complex flavours, combining heat, aromatics, and deep umami makes for some serious delicious dishes that I love to recreate in my own kitchen. One of the region's most beloved dishes is braised aubergine, known for its silky texture and intensely savoury sauce. Traditionally found in homes and restaurants throughout China's Sichuan province, this comforting dish takes the humble aubergine and turns it into something special with ingredients such as doubanjiang, garlic, ginger, and Chinkiang vinegar.
Authentic Sichuan braised aubergine recipes often include minced pork, which adds richness and depth to the finished dish. But as we don't eat meat we've swapped it for tofu that's broken up with a fork to give it a mince-like texture. The result is a Vegan Sichuan Style Braised Aubergine recipe that stays true to the spirit of the traditional dish while replacing the meat component with tofu.
I think the tofu absorbs the aromatic sauce beautifully and provides a satisfying texture that pairs wonderfully with the silky aubergine.
Another key element of Sichuan cooking is balancing flavours. Spicy doubanjiang provides heat and fermented depth, while rice wine vinegar and Chinkiang vinegar contribute brightness and complexity. A touch of sugar rounds everything out, creating the classic sweet, sour, salty, and spicy profile that defines many Sichuan dishes.
There may be a few specialist ingredients in this recipe that you need to source from your local Asian supermarket but I promise this recipe is sure to become a favourite. I've included some serving suggestions below but simple steamed rice makes for a satisfying weeknight dinner.
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Ingredients
- Chinese or Japanese aubergines
- Salt
- Rice wine vinegar
- Shaoxing wine
- Caster sugar
- Soy sauce
- Chinkiang vinegar
- Cornflour
- Vegetable oil
- Root ginger
- Garlic
- Spring onions
- Sichuan chilli broad bean paste (Doubanjiang)
- Firm tofu, crumbled
- Fresh coriander
Step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: Soak the aubergines in salted water for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Step 2: Mix the sauce ingredients and dissolve in the cornflour.
- Step 3: Crumble the tofu before browning the tofu in hot oil.
- Step 4: Drain the aubergine and add them to the pan, cooking until soft and golden.
- Step 5: Add the ginger, garlic, and spring onions to the pan and stir-fry.
- Step 6: Add the doubanjiang and cook briefly.
- Step 7: Pour in the sauce and toss until glossy and thickened.
- Step 8: Garnish and serve immediately.
Hint: Thoroughly drying the soaked aubergines before cooking is essential. Removing excess moisture helps them brown beautifully rather than steam, resulting in a silky texture and richer flavour.
Substitutions
There are quite a few specialist ingredients in this recipe that you may find tricky to find if you don't have an Asia supermarket near you. The good news is there are a couple of substitutions you can make. They are:
- Aubergines: Use Wester, or globe aubergines if necessary, though the texture will be slightly firmer.
- Shaoxing wine: Dry sherry makes an excellent substitute.
- Chinkiang vinegar: Balsamic vinegar mixed with a splash of rice vinegar can work if needed.
- Doubanjiang: Use gochujang for a different but still delicious flavour profile.
- Firm tofu: Tempeh or finely chopped mushrooms can be used instead.
Variations
Want to add you own twist, try one of these variations:
- Extra spicy: Add dried Sichuan chillies or chilli flakes for additional heat.
- For mushroom lover's: Include sliced shiitake or oyster mushrooms for added umami.
- Nutty aubergine: Finish with toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts.
Equipment
You'll need the usual kit like a knife, chopping board, measuring spoons etc for this recipe but you may also want a wok. If you don't have one a large frying pan will work too. The full equipment list is as follows:
- Large mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Measuring spoons
- Small saucepan
- Wok or large frying pan
- Spatula
Storage
Store leftover Vegan Sichuan Style Braised Aubergine in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, warm gently in a frying pan over medium heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Freezing is not recommended, as the aubergine texture may become overly soft after thawing.
Top tip
For the most authentic flavour, use a high-quality Sichuan doubanjiang. This fermented chilli bean paste is the heart of the dish and provides its distinctive savoury, spicy depth.
No. Traditional versions often contain minced pork, but this vegan adaptation uses tofu in its place.
The spice level is moderate but you can adjust the amount of doubanjiang to suit your taste.
Soaking helps improve texture, reduces bitterness, and encourages even cooking.
The recipe
Vegan Sichuan Style Braised Aubergine
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- chopping board
- measuring spoons
- small saucepan
- Wok or large frying pan
- Spatula
- Kitchen paper
Ingredients
- 3 Chinese or Japanese aubergines trimmed, cut into quarters lengthwise
- 50 g salt
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoons cornflour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 inch root ginger minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 5 spring onions whites thinly sliced, and green ends cut into pieces the same size as the aubergines
- 2 tablespoons Dobanjiang (also known as Sichuan chilli broad bean paste)
- 200 g extra firm tofu crumbled
- coriander for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the salt with 1.5 litres of water in a medium bowl. Add the aubergine pieces, skin-side up, and soak for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the rice wine vinegar in a small saucepan with the Shaoxing wine, sugar, soy sauce, and Chinkiang vinegar. Stir continuously, then whisk in the cornflour until completely dissolved. Set aside.
- Drain the aubergines thoroughly and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
- Using the back of a fork, crush the tofu into a rough mince.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a wok to a medium and add the crumbled tofu. Cook until lightly golden.
- Add the aubergines and cook, tossing occasionally, until softened and browned on all sides.
- Push the aubergines and tofu to the sides of the wok. Increase the heat to high and add the ginger, garlic, and spring onions. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the Sichuan chilli broad bean paste and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the sauce and toss until the sauce thickens and coats the aubergine. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of water.
- Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the sliced white spring onions and chopped coriander, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Serving suggestions
My Vegan Sichuan Style Braised Aubergine goes really well with steamed rice, stir fried greens, or sesame noodles. You could also serve it with another one of these delicious dishes for a real feast!
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