Sichuan-style Mapo Tofu/麻婆豆腐 (Má Pó Dòu Fu)
Arguably one of the most famous exports from the Sichuan province of China. This dish definitely proves that tofu is an amazing ingredient in its own right!
- 5 ounces ground meat (pork, beef, or turkey)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 5 teaspoons douban jiang (Sichuan fermented bean chili paste)
- 2 teaspoons dou chi (fermented black bean)
- 2 teaspoons chili flakes (Sichuan or Korean)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 5 green onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 block soft tofu
- 1 tablespoon ground Sichuan peppercorn powder
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Before you start cooking, wrap the block of tofu in a paper towel and allow it to sit while you do prep work (mincing, gathering ingredients, etc.)
Heat a wok or a large frying pan with 2 Tbsp. of cooking oil to medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan. Stir until aromatic, < 30 seconds, then add the ground meat.
Stir the ground meat until it’s fully cooked, then add the chili paste, black bean, and chili flakes.
Allow the bean/spice mixture to sizzle for about a minute while mixing into the ground meat, then add the chicken stock, soy sauce, and green onions. Turn the heat up to medium high. The liquid should start to boil.
While the liquid is boiling down, remove the tofu from the paper towel and slice into cubes that are no bigger than 3/4 inch.
Add the tofu to the wok and stir gently to mix.
Add the cornstarch and water–try adding half of the amount called for at first. Depending on how much your liquid has boiled down, you may not need all of it. It’s also a matter of preference… I like my sauce to be pretty thick so it coats the rice I eat it with, so I use the whole amount on the recipe.
After mixing the cornstarch & water into the dish, turn off the heat and remove from heat. Sprinkle with the ground roasted Sichuan peppercorns, then plate and serve immediately.
- I prefer ground beef, but any ground meat will work.
- Douban jiang and dou chi are readily available at your local Asian supermarket in the sauces section.
- You can sub firm tofu for soft if needed, but it makes the dish much more tofu-forward (which sounds crazy, I know, but soft tofu just makes the whole thing taste more cohesive).
- Sprinkling the ground peppercorn at the end is optional, but it really elevates the flavor of the dish and I highly recommend it.