How to Cook Yummy Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu. Mapo Tofu can be found in almost any Chinese restaurant around the world with hundreds of variations adapting the piquant original to suit local tastes. For marinating, soft tofu is more fitful than firm tofu and for stir-frying and deep frying, firm tofu is better than soft tofu. Ingredient tips. doubanjiang (豆瓣酱), the soul of Sichuan cuisine, is also known as broad bean paste.

Sichuan food is known for not just the "la" what we call "spicy hot" but also "ma la" which is the no-so-hot but mouth numbing tingling feeling you can only get from Sichuan peppercorns. They have an amazing flavor- I am Addicted. Mapo Tofu is a popular Chinese dish from Sichuan Province, where spicy food is king and the signature spice of the region--the Sichuan Peppercorn--gives dishes a unique "numbing" effect. You can cook Mapo Tofu using 12 ingredients and 6 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Mapo Tofu

1. It's 1 lb of softer tofu (homemade preferable).
2. You need 1 lb of ground pork.
3. It's 2 c of sodium-free stock of choice or water.
4. You need 3 tbsp of minced garlic.
5. It's 3 tbsp of minced ginger.
6. Prepare 3 tbsp of doubanjiang (use less if you're not a fan of spice).
7. It's 2 tbsp of sichuan pepper.
8. You need 1 tsp of sichuan pepper powdered.
9. Prepare 5 tbsp of oil.
10. You need 5 of dried chilis.
11. You need 2 of scallions chopped for garnish.
12. You need 1 tsp of msg and/or sugar to taste.

It's almost like the Sichuan peppercorns are there to not only add their fragrance and flavor, but also to numb your tongue so it can take more heat! Add the reserved ground peppercorns, the tofu and the soy sauce mixture. Mapo tofu (Chinese: 麻婆豆腐; pinyin: mápó dòufu) is a popular Chinese dish from Sichuan province. It consists of tofu set in a spicy sauce, typically a thin, oily, and bright red suspension, based on douban (fermented broad bean and chili paste) and douchi (fermented black beans), along with minced meat, traditionally beef.

Mapo Tofu instructions

1. Use the softest tofu you are comfortable cooking with. Our homemade tofu would probably be categorized as soft or medium-firm based on the brand. Prep all of your ingredients and cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes. Be sure to give the doubanjiang a pass through with your knife to chop up any whole beans that may be in the paste..
2. Heat the oil in a wok and toss in the sichuan peppers and dried chilis. Cook until the peppers have turned brown and the oil is fragrant, less than 5 minutes on medium heat. You can leave the peppers in the dish, but we usually scoop them out and leave behind the oil for a less gritty texture..
3. Cook the pork in the oil, making sure to break apart the ground until it's a finer mince, but we usually leave slightly larger chunks since we prefer it that way. Brown the pork until you're satisfied, then toss in the ginger, garlic, and doubanjiang. Stir fry until the aromatics have softened..
4. Add in your stock (or water) and tofu. Allow to simmer until the water has reduced and tofu has softened..
5. Once the stock has reduced partially, check for taste and season with salt or sugar/MSG accordingly. If there is too much liquid released from the tofu, add slurry of 1 tsp of cornstarch and a tbsp of water to thicken..
6. Garnish with scallions. Serve with rice, steamed vegetables, and/or any pickled sides..

Variations exist with other ingredients such as water. Mapo Tofu is a classic Szechuan dish that features tofu covered in spices and minced meat. It pairs extremely well with rice, and may even be necessary with how spicy it can get. The name literally translates to "pockmarked old lady tofu", inspired by the old lady that made this dish. Our Mapo Tofu recipe remains one of the most popular recipes we've posted on the blog to date.