Chinese · Main · Easy
Mapo Tofu
Silken tofu in a fiery, numbing chili bean sauce. Custardy cubes that barely hold together, in the best possible way.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Mapo Tofu, in 5 ideas
- Doubanjiang is the soul. This fermented chili bean paste gives mapo its deep red color and savory fire. Pixian doubanjiang is the gold standard if you can find it.
- Grind the peppercorns fresh. Pre-ground loses its numbing punch fast. Toast whole ones in a dry pan, then crush. The tingle should make your lips buzz.
- Soft tofu, not firm. The contrast between the custardy tofu and the bold sauce is the entire dish. Firm tofu turns it into something else entirely.
- Salt the poaching water. It seasons the tofu from the inside out, so the bland cubes do not dilute the sauce.
- Make it vegetarian easily. Skip the pork and use mushroom stock. Add extra doubanjiang and a handful of chopped shiitakes for the savory depth.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 lb soft or medium tofu, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
- 4 oz ground pork
- 2 tbsp doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
- 1 tbsp douchi (fermented black beans), rinsed and chopped (optional but great)
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Steamed rice, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. Slide in the tofu cubes and poach 2 minutes to firm them up slightly. Drain carefully. This keeps them from falling apart later.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the pork, breaking it into small bits, about 3 minutes.
- Add the doubanjiang and douchi. Stir fry 1 minute until the oil turns red and fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds more.
- Pour in the stock, soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to a simmer.
- Gently slide in the tofu. Simmer 5 minutes, pushing the cubes around with the back of a spoon instead of stirring, so they stay whole.
- Drizzle in the cornstarch slurry while gently stirring. The sauce should thicken enough to cling to the tofu.
- Transfer to a serving dish. Shower with the ground Sichuan peppercorns and scallions. Serve immediately over rice.
Push, do not stir. Tofu cubes are fragile. Use the back of a spoon or shake the pan to move things around. A broken cube still tastes good, but whole ones look like the restaurant version.