Chef-tested recipe
Dongbei-style potato, aubergine, and green pepper fried separately and finished in a glossy garlic-soy sauce
Di san xian is a familiar Dongbei dish whose name refers to three fresh treasures from the earth: potato, aubergine, and green pepper. The traditional restaurant technique cooks each vegetable in hot oil before they are tossed quickly with garlic and a lightly thickened soy sauce. Potatoes should be golden and tender, aubergine silky without collapsing, and pepper bright with a little bite. The dish is naturally plant-based when oyster sauce, meat stock, and chicken seasoning are excluded, none of which are needed for a savoury result.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Prep Time
- 25 mins
- Cook Time
- 25 mins
- Total Time
- 50 mins
- Cuisine
- Chinese Dongbei
- Course
- Main dishes
- Cooking Method
- Separate high-temperature frying and rapid wok glazing
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Best served with steamed jasmine rice, stir-fried leafy greens, smashed cucumber salad, chilled silken tofu, and hot tea.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Carbon-steel wokpaid link
- Deep frying potpaid link
- Kitchen thermometerpaid link
- Wire cooling rackpaid link
- Slotted spoonpaid link
- Large mixing bowlpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- Chinese aubergines: 650 g
- Waxy potatoes, peeled: 550 g
- Green bell pepper: 300 g
- Fine sea salt for soakingpaid link: 8 g
- Cold water for soaking: 1200 ml
- Cornstarch for coatingpaid link: 45 g
- Neutral vegetable oil for fryingpaid link: 1200 ml
For the sauce
- Light soy saucepaid link: 35 ml
- Dark soy saucepaid link: 8 ml
- Shaoxing winepaid link: 20 ml
- Caster sugarpaid link: 8 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 3 g
- Ground white pepper: 1 g
- Cornstarch: 10 g Shop paid link
- Cold water: 120 ml
For the wok
- Garlic, finely chopped: 30 g
- Fresh ginger, finely chopped: 10 g
- Spring onion whites, finely sliced: 35 g
- Spring onion greens, sliced: 25 g
- Toasted sesame oilpaid link: 8 ml
Preparation Overview
Roll-cut aubergines into 35 mm pieces and soak them briefly in salted water. Cut potatoes into slightly smaller 25 mm pieces and peppers into broad diamonds. Dry every vegetable thoroughly before it approaches hot oil. Mix the sauce completely before heating the wok because the final toss moves quickly.
Method
Prepare the aubergine. Dissolve salt in cold water, soak cut aubergine for 15 minutes, drain, squeeze very gently, and dry thoroughly.
Cut the other vegetables. Rinse potato pieces to remove loose starch and dry them; cut green pepper into pieces similar in surface area.
Mix the sauce. Whisk light soy, dark soy, Shaoxing wine, sugar, salt, white pepper, cornstarch, and cold water until smooth.
Heat the oil. Bring neutral oil to 175°C in a stable deep wok or pot, keeping the area completely dry.
Fry the potatoes. Cook potatoes in batches for 5 to 7 minutes until golden and tender, then drain on a rack.
Fry the aubergine and pepper. Dust dried aubergine lightly with cornstarch and fry for 90 seconds until silky and lightly coloured; add pepper for the final 20 seconds, then drain.
Start the wok. Pour away frying oil safely, leaving 25 ml in the wok, then stir-fry garlic, ginger, and spring onion whites for 20 seconds.
Glaze the vegetables. Re-whisk the sauce, add it to the wok, and when bubbling return potato, aubergine, and pepper; toss over high heat for 45 to 60 seconds until evenly glossy.
Finish and serve. Add sesame oil and spring onion greens, toss once, and transfer immediately to a warm platter.
Beginner Technique Notes
Water and hot oil are dangerous together, so dry soaked aubergines, potatoes, peppers, tools, and hands completely.
Cut potatoes slightly smaller than aubergines because their dense centres cook more slowly.
Do not crowd the oil; temperature recovery is essential for vegetables that are browned rather than greasy.
Re-whisk the sauce immediately before adding it because cornstarch settles quickly.
The final wok stage should be brief so the green pepper stays bright and the vegetables do not break apart.
Tips and Variations
Long Chinese aubergines hold their shape well, while globe aubergine can be used in slightly smaller pieces.
A shallow-fried home version uses less oil but requires more turning and produces a different surface.
Use dry sherry only when Shaoxing wine is unavailable and verify that it suits dietary requirements.
Do not add standard oyster sauce to a plant-based batch; the soy-garlic glaze is complete without it.
Serve immediately because the crisp edges soften as the vegetables stand in sauce.
Serving Ideas
- Use a broad white or dark ceramic platter to show the purple aubergine skin, gold potato, and bright green pepper. Spoon only enough sauce to glaze rather than flood the vegetables.
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot wok or 200°C oven until at least 74°C; the vegetables will be softer than when freshly cooked. Freezing is not recommended because aubergine and pepper lose their texture.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains soy, wheat gluten, and sesame. Shaoxing wine and soy sauce commonly contain wheat. Check cornstarch and seasonings for cross-contact and use dedicated frying oil for severe allergies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three treasures in di san xian?
They are potato, aubergine, and green pepper.
Is the dish always deep-fried?
The classic restaurant method fries the vegetables separately; home versions may shallow-fry them.
Why soak the aubergine?
Brief salted-water soaking helps season it and can limit excessive oil absorption when it is dried carefully.
Can oyster sauce be added?
Standard oyster sauce is not plant-based and is unnecessary; use the balanced soy and garlic sauce.
Why serve it immediately?
The vegetables are most distinct just after glazing, before steam softens their browned surfaces.
