Sichuan Mapo Tofu Recipes

MAPO TOFU RECIPE

Steps:

• Add a small pinch of salt and ground pepper. Mix well and set aside.
• Cut tofu into square cubes (around 2cms). Bring a large amount of water to a boil and then add a pinch of salt. Slide the tofu in and cook for 1 minute. Move out and drain. This helps to remove the raw soy flavor form tofu.
• Get a wok and heat up around 2 tablespoons of oil, fry the minced meat until crispy. Transfer out and leave the oil in.
• Add another 1 tablespoon of vegetable cooking oil and fry doubanjiang for 1 minute over slow fire until the red turns red (bring us a lovely red color dish) and add fermented black beans, garlic, scallion white and ginger, cook for 30 seconds until aroma. Optionally mix pepper flakes in. Pepper flakes should be added at the end because it contains little water and can be burnt easily.
• Pour in water or stock. Add light soy sauce, sugar and half of the cooked beef (providing more flavors to the soup) after the broth boils and let it continue simmering for 2-3 minutes. Place the tofu in, simmer for another 6-8 minutes. The longer time of simmering helps the tofu to absorb the flavors.
• During the process of simmering, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2.5 tablespoons of water in a small bowl to make water starch. Stir the water starch and then pour half of the mixture to the simmering pot. Back push and wait for around 30 seconds and then pour the other half. You can slightly taste the tofu and add pinch of salt if not salty enough. Add cooked beef to creates some crispy texture and then drizzle sesame oil. Mix well.
• Transfer out when almost all the seasonings stick to tofu cubes. Sprinkle Szechuan peppercorn powder (to taste)and chopped garlic greens if using.
• Serve immediately with steamed rice.

SICHUAN MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Mix the tapioca starch and the soy sauce together.
• Marinate pork for about 20 minutes.
• Cut the tofu ( bean curd ) into 1/2-inch square cubes, and blanch (drop into boiling water) for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from boiling water and drain.
• Chop leek or green onions into short lengths.
• Heat wok and add oil. When the oil is ready, add the marinated pork. Stir-fry pork 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 meat.
• Add the chili bean paste, then the stock, bean curd, and leek or green onions. Turn down the heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• While cooking, mix cornstarch , water, and soy sauce together. Add to wok and stir gently.
• Serve with freshly ground Szechuan pepper and enjoy!

MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• First, we toast the chilies. If you have homemade toasted chili oil, you can skip this step. Heat your wok or a small saucepan over low heat. Add ¼ cup of the oil and throw in the fresh and dried peppers. Stir occasionally and heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes, ensuring that the peppers don't burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Heat the remaining ¼ cup of oil in your wok over medium heat. Add the ginger. After 1 minute, add the garlic. Fry for another minute, and then turn up the heat to high and add the ground pork. Break up the meat and fry it until it's cooked through. Add your ground Sichuan peppercorns and stir for about 15-30 seconds, taking care to not let it burn, as it will turn bitter if it does.
• Add the spicy bean sauce to the mixture and stir it in well. Add ⅔ cups of chicken broth to the wok and stir. Let this simmer for a minute or so. While that's happening, ready your tofu and also put a ¼ cup of water in a small bowl with your cornstarch and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Add the cornstarch mixture to your sauce and stir. Let it bubble away until the sauce starts to thicken. (If it gets too thick, splash in a little more water or chicken stock.)
• Then add your chili oil from before-peppers and all! If you are using homemade chili oil, ONLY use the standing oil, as it's likely that you have salted it and you only want the oil, not additional salt. Stir the oil into the sauce, and add the tofu. Use your spatula to gently toss the tofu in the sauce. Let everything cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the sesame oil and sugar (if using) along with the scallions and stir until the scallions are just wilted.
• Serve with a last sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorn powder as a garnish if desired.

SICHUAN MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix pork and egg together in a bowl. Stir mixture into the saucepan. Saute until starting to turn color, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir chile bean sauce, black bean sauce, and chile oil into the pork mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until pork is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tofu; simmer until flavors are well blended, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with green onions.

MAPO TOFU, A FIERY SICHUAN RECIPE, WITH A VEGETARIAN ALTERNATIVE

Steps:

• Dry toast all the Sichuan peppercorns in a wok or frying pan for 1 minute on low heat, then transfer to a small mortar (pestle and mortar, the bowl).
• Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over medium high heat and fry the dried chillies for one minute.
• Transfer the oil and chillies into a heatproof bowl and add the chilli flakes and about 10 of the sichuan peppercorns (¼ tsp). Leave to infuse while you get everything else ready.
• Add all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, and using your hands, work the marinade into the meat. Leave aside while you get the other ingredients ready. No need to cover, we won't be long.
• Cut up the tofu into cubes measuring about 2.5cm/1".
• Lightly crush the sichuan peppercorns with a pestle and mortar.
• Get your garlic, ginger and spring onions (scallions) ready, as the description above. Finely chop your garlic and ginger. Split the spring onions into white and green, and slice thinly.
• Heat the 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a wok or large, deep frying pan on medium heat and fry the sichuan peppercorns, the garlic, ginger and white sliced spring onions (scallions) for 30 seconds.
• Increase the heat to high and add the minced meat you are using. Break the meat up with the end of your spatula and cook for 3-5 minutes until your meat is browned all over.
• Add the doubanjiang and the wine and stir to mix well, cook for 1 minute.
• Add the water, stir and bring back to simmering point.
• Now stir the cornflour paste in and cook for 20-30 seconds until the sauce has thickened.
• Add the tofu cubes, and VERY carefully stir the tofu and the sauce, being careful to break up as little of the tofu as possible. But don't fret too much, if it's your first time. Let the tofu cook for 3 minutes.
• While the tofu is cooking, strain the chilli oil you made earlier into a clean cup or bowl. Drizzle some of the chilli oil all over, however much or however little you like. I usually use 2 Tbsp of it and keep the other 2 Tbsp, covered, in the fridge for something the next day.
• Take off heat, scatter the green spring onions (scallions) all over and serve immediately.