Mapo Tofu
Mapo tofu is a classic, traditional Sichuan dish. This recipe features authentic chinese cuisine ingredients and flavors. You can tailor the spiciness to your preference - but true mapo tofu is supposed have some heat. The sichuan peppercorn can be strong and has a lip numbing effect, so watch out with how much you use. This dish is best served with some kind of carb, usually rice, that can soak up the sauce. Don't forget you can always make it vegan or vegetarian by substituting or skipping the meat.
Ingredients
as written
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 fresh or dried chili peppers, chopped
- ½ teaspoon sichuan peppercorns, crushed
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ lb minced meat — beef, pork, chicken or turkey
- 1 lb block of tofu, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons spicy bean paste (doubanjiang)
- 1 cup broth or water
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 stalk green onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, optional
- 2 teaspoons water, optional
Method
- 01
In a large wok, heat up oil and add minced chili peppers, crushed sichuan peppercorns, garlic and ginger. Fry for about a minute, don't burn it.
- 02
Next, add in the minced meat and cook until well done. Then include the doubanjiang (bean paste), rice wine and soy sauce and cook for another minute.
- 03
Pour in broth or water then bring to a boil. Then add in the tofu cubes. Lower the heat and let cook for 5 minutes. Be careful not to break the tofu when you stir.
- 04
Finally, mix the cornstarch and water into a slurry, add it in and simmer for 30 seconds. Turn off heat and garnish with green onion. Serve over a bed of rice. Enjoy!
- Vegetarians can substitute the ground meat with mushrooms or skip it altogether. I sometimes add very finely chopped cabbage instead of meat when cutting down on meat.