Ma Po Tofu With Tempeh Recipes

MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• Get all the ingredients ready before you start cooking and set them out in bowls. Drain the tofu and cut it into 1.5cm cubes. Put it in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Leave this while you get on with everything else.
• Heat a wok and pour in the groundnut oil. Get this really hot and fry the pork until it's crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon but leave the oil behind.
• Add the bean paste and cook, stirring for a few mins until fragrant, then add the black beans, ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, for a min or so, then add the stock and let it bubble away.
• Stir the cornflour and water into the mixture in the wok, drain the tofu and stir it into the sauce. Tip in the spring onions and the mince.
• Add the chilli oil, if using, and sprinkle over the Sichuan peppercorns. The sauce shouldn't need seasoning with salt, as many of the ingredients are salty already. Serve with boiled white rice.

MA PO TOFU WITH TEMPEH

Steps:

• Mix marinade ingredients. Simmer tempeh in marinade for about 20 minutes.
• Cut the tofu (bean curd) into 1/2 inch (1 cm) square cubes, and blanch (drop into boiling water) for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from boiling water and drain.
• Chop the leek or green onions into short lengths.
• Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the marinated tempeh.
• Stir-fry tempeh until the color darkens. Add salt and stir. Add the salted black beans. Mash the beans with a cooking ladle until they blend in well with the tempeh. Add the chili paste, then the stock, tofu, and leek or green onions.
• Turn down the heat. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes.
• While cooking, mix cornstarch, water, and soy sauce together. Add to wok and stir gently. Serve with freshly ground Szechuan pepper.

MA PO TOFU

Steps:

• Place 1 tablespoon of the chopped ginger into a large zip-lock bag, and reserve the remainder.
• Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the bowl (1 sliced green onion, 1 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons dry sherry, 2 teaspoons cornstarch), and mix well.
• Add the ground pork, mix marinade and ground pork together, and put in refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove hard stems from Shiitake mushrooms and slice finely.
• Blanch the tofu in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then drain.
• Combine the garlic with the reserved ginger, and process together with a stick blender or spice grinder until they form a thick paste.
• Heat large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the Sesame and Olive Oil (2 tbsp sesame, 1 tbsp olive) and just as it is starting to smoke, add the garlic/ginger pasted and stir-fry, stirring continuously for approximately 30 seconds (take care not to burn the mixture).
• Next add the Black Bean Hot Sauce, Szechwan Stir Fry Sauce, Chili Oil, Shiitake mushrooms, and stir-fry for approximately 60 seconds.
• Stir meat mixture, add it to the skillet, and continue to stir-fry over high heat for two to three minutes, until it looses its pinkish color.
• Toss in the tofu and the sliced green onions and continue to fry for about 45 seconds.
• Pour in the soy sauce and water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to moderate and cook for a couple of minutes.
• If there appears to be too much liquid in the pan contents, thicken with a little cornstarch and water.
• Serve with steamed rice.

MA PO TOFU WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Start your rice cooker.
• Dice the pork into tiny cubes, stir in a splash of soy sauce, and set aside.
• Cut the silken tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside. Be gentle with your tofu, the soft kind is delicate and comes apart easily.
• Combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, sherry, sugar, and salt, and set aside.
• Heat up the vegetable oil in a wok, deep skillet, or dutch oven.
• when the oil is very hot, add the chili sauce and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds, just enough to wake up the flavors, but not enough to burn the garlic.
• add the diced pork and stir, cooking for another minute or so. (It will cook more later).
• Add the tofu and pour in the sauce. Stir once gently, being careful not to break up the tofu.
• Bring the sauce up to a boil and braise uncovered for 5 minutes or so. (How long you want to braise it depends on how saucy you want it to be--the longer it boils, the more the liquid will reduce.).
• Dice the green onion, white and green parts together.
• After 5+ minutes, the tofu will take on a nice reddish brown color from the sauce. At this point, mix cornstarch and water to make about a tablespoon of goopy paste, and stir into the boiling sauce. Throw about 4 handfuls of baby spinach onto the top and cover, cooking for another 2 or 3 minutes.
• When your spinach is wilted and the sauce is "clingy", gently stir in the green onion and 1/2 tsp of sesame oil.
• Serve on top of lots of steamed white rice.

MA PO TOFU (BRAISED SPICY PORK WITH TOFU)

Steps:

• In a wok, heat vegetable oil on medium high heat for 2 minutes. Have all your ingredients ready next to your cooking area as you will need them close at hand as cooking progresses.
• Add garlic and ginger to the wok and stir-fry for about 1 minute, be careful not to burn the garlic.
• Add the ground pork to the wok and break up into large chunks. Let the pork sear and gently combine the garlic and ginger as you continue to break up the meat, abour 3-4 minutes. If desired, you may season the pork at this stage with salt and black pepper, but this is not necessary.
• For the sauce, combine the sugar, cooking wine, rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce and chili paste. Add the sauce mixture to the wok. Gently combine and bring the wok to a simmer.
• Add green onions, tofu and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Gently fold ingredients together, be careful not to break up the tofu (you want it to retain their cubed-shape).
• Cover wok with a lid and lower heat to low and braise pork and tofu for 10 minutes.
• Remove lid and raise heat to medium. Stir cornstarch into remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the wok and gently stir to thicken sauce, about 2 minutes. Remove the ginger now, if desired.
• Serve over white rice and enjoy!

MA PO TOFU (FROM COOKING LIGHT)

Steps:

• Place tofu slices on several layers of paper towels, cover with additional paper towels. Place a dinner plate on top of covered tofu; let stand 30 minutes. Remove plate, discard paper towels. Cut tofu slices into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Combine broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili garlic sauce, stirring with a whisk.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 4 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tofu; cook 4 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add broth mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
• Serve tofu mixture over rice. Sprinkle with onions.