Mapo Tofu

Name: Mapo Tofu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sichuan
Ingredients: 450 g silken or soft tofu; 120 g minced beef; 4 tbsp vegetable oil or rapeseed oil; 2.5 tbsp Pixian doubanjiang (chili bean paste) (finely chopped if chunky); 1 tbsp fermented black beans (douchi) (rinsed and roughly chopped); 1 tbsp Sichuan ground chili flakes; 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped); 1 tbsp fresh ginger (finely chopped); 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine; 1 tsp light soy sauce; 300 ml chicken or beef stock (or water); 2 tsp cornstarch (mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water); 1.5 tsp Sichuan peppercorns; 3 stalks garlic sprouts (suan miao) (cut into 2 cm lengths); salt (to taste, plus 1 teaspoon for blanching)

Serves 4 · 35 min · Sichuan

Ingredients

450 g silken or soft tofu
120 g minced beef
4 tbsp vegetable oil or rapeseed oil
2½ tbsp Pixian doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
1 tbsp fermented black beans (douchi)
1 tbsp Sichuan ground chili flakes
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp light soy sauce
300 ml chicken or beef stock
2 tsp cornstarch
1½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns
3 stalks garlic sprouts (suan miao)
to taste salt

Method

01
Cut the tofu Drain the tofu and carefully cut it into cubes about two centimetres across.
02
Blanch the tofu Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer, add one teaspoon of salt, slide in the tofu cubes and let them sit in the barely simmering water for two minutes, then leave them in the hot water until needed.
03
Toast the peppercorns Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry wok over low heat for about two minutes until fragrant, then tip them out and grind them to a fine powder.
04
Fry the beef Heat the oil in the wok over medium high heat, add the minced beef and stir fry for about four minutes, breaking it up, until it is dry, browned and slightly crisp.
05
Splash the wine Pour the Shaoxing wine around the edge of the wok and stir it into the beef.
06
Fry the bean paste Turn the heat down to low, push the beef to one side, add the doubanjiang to the oil and fry it for about one minute until the oil turns deep red and smells rich.
07
Add the aromatics Add the fermented black beans, chili flakes, garlic and ginger and stir fry for thirty seconds until fragrant.
08
Simmer the tofu Pour in the stock and bring it to a boil, then lift the tofu out of its water with a slotted spoon, slide it into the wok, add the soy sauce and simmer gently for five minutes so the tofu absorbs the sauce.
09
Thicken the sauce Stir the cornstarch mixture, then pour it in over about ninety seconds in three small additions, gently swirling the wok after each one, until the sauce is glossy and clings to the tofu.
10
Add the garlic sprouts Scatter in the garlic sprouts and cook for thirty seconds, just until they turn bright green.
11
Serve with pepper Spoon the tofu into a serving bowl, sprinkle the ground Sichuan pepper over the top and serve straight away with steamed rice.

Method

Cut the tofu

Drain the tofu and carefully cut it into cubes about two centimetres across.

Blanch the tofu

Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer, add one teaspoon of salt, slide in the tofu cubes and let them sit in the barely simmering water for two minutes, then leave them in the hot water until needed.

Keep the water just trembling, not boiling hard, or the soft tofu will break apart. The salted water firms the surface so the cubes hold their shape in the sauce.

Blanch the tofu · 2 min

Toast the peppercorns

Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry wok over low heat for about two minutes until fragrant, then tip them out and grind them to a fine powder.

Pick out any shiny black seeds first; they are gritty and bitter. Stop as soon as they smell strongly, because scorched peppercorns taste burnt.

Toast the peppercorns · 2 min

Fry the beef

Heat the oil in the wok over medium high heat, add the minced beef and stir fry for about four minutes, breaking it up, until it is dry, browned and slightly crisp.

Keep frying past the point where the beef releases its juices; the crisp, dry bits are what give the dish its savory texture.

Fry the beef · 4 min

Splash the wine

Pour the Shaoxing wine around the edge of the wok and stir it into the beef.

Fry the bean paste

Turn the heat down to low, push the beef to one side, add the doubanjiang to the oil and fry it for about one minute until the oil turns deep red and smells rich.

Low heat matters here. If the paste darkens to brown or smells sharp, it has burnt and will make the sauce bitter.

Fry the bean paste · 1 min

Add the aromatics

Add the fermented black beans, chili flakes, garlic and ginger and stir fry for thirty seconds until fragrant.

Add the aromatics · 00:30

Simmer the tofu

Pour in the stock and bring it to a boil, then lift the tofu out of its water with a slotted spoon, slide it into the wok, add the soy sauce and simmer gently for five minutes so the tofu absorbs the sauce.

Move the tofu by pushing gently with the back of a ladle rather than stirring with a spatula. Taste the sauce now and add salt only if needed, since the bean paste is already salty.

Simmer the tofu · 5 min

Thicken the sauce

Stir the cornstarch mixture, then pour it in over about ninety seconds in three small additions, gently swirling the wok after each one, until the sauce is glossy and clings to the tofu.

Adding the slurry in stages is the Chengdu way; it lets the sauce coat the tofu without turning gluey.

Thicken the sauce · 2 min

Add the garlic sprouts

Scatter in the garlic sprouts and cook for thirty seconds, just until they turn bright green.

If you cannot find garlic sprouts, use thinly sliced young leek or the green part of spring onions.

Add the garlic sprouts · 00:30

Serve with pepper

Spoon the tofu into a serving bowl, sprinkle the ground Sichuan pepper over the top and serve straight away with steamed rice.

Mapo Tofu

Ingredients

Method

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