Oct 19

Oct 19 Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu is one of the most popular Sichuan dishes combining fermented bean (tian mian jiang) and spicy chili (doubanjiang) sauces with tofu into a comfort dish that while authentic to China, is beloved across the various corners of Asia. That means there are a ton of variations on this theme - so let this recipe serve a guide for you.

Be sure to get out and try the dish at your favorite authentic Chinese and Sichuan cuisine restaurants while adding your own spin on this ever evolving dish!

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz ground pork
1 ½ TBSP sesame oil
2 TBSP chopped garlic
2 TBSP chopped ginger
1 TBSP Sichuan peppercorns crushed in mortar and pestle into a crumbly powder
1 TBSP doubanjiang
2 TBSP tian mian jiang
2 TBSP sake
1 ½ cups chicken stock
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP sake
2 TBSP mirin
1 ½ TBSP honey
1 bunch green onions diced
Two 14oz packages regular or medium firm tofu
2 TBSP corn starch
4 TBSP water
Steamed white rice

Remove the tofu from it’s packaging and lay each block on a plate with paper towels. Cover the tops of each block and place another plate on top to weigh down and help facilitate the water from draining out. Let drain for at least 20 minutes.

Brown the ground pork in the sesame oil over medium heat in a large wok or nonstick sauté pan until no longer pink. Reduce the heat to medium and add in the garlic & ginger. Sauté for 1 minute until aromatic. Add in the Sichuan peppercorn powder, doubanjiang, and tian mian jiang to the meat mixture. Sauté for another minute to toast the sauces. Add in the sake and cook, stirring until fully evaporated.

Add in the chicken stock, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and honey. Mix to combine. Cut each block of tofu in half as if cutting a hamburger bun. Next, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 tofu cubes in each layer.

Add the tofu to the sauce mixture and bring to the boil. Add in the green onions, stir to combine, and remove the pan from the heat. Let cool for 30 seconds. In a cup, combine the corn starch with the water. While mixing, slowly add in the corn starch mixture to the mapo tofu until slightly thickened. Return to the heat and simmer until the desired stew/gravy consistency is reached. Serve over steamed white rice. Enjoy!