1
StepCut the tofu into 2.5 cm cubes and slide them into a pan of lightly salted water held just below a simmer. Leave them there off the heat while you cook the sauce.
Main Dishes
Mapo Tofu
Silken tofu in a red, oily sauce built on fermented broad bean paste and fermented black beans, with just enough minced pork to carry it. Ground Sichuan pepper goes on at the end so the numbing tingle survives the cooking.
35 min
Prep: 15 / Cook: 20
4
servings
Medium
Difficulty
4.5
6 Ratings
Ingredients
- 600 g silken tofu
- 200 g ground pork
- 2 tbsp doubanjiang
- 1 tbsp fermented black bean
- 1 tsp sichuan peppercorn
- 2 tbsp chilli oil
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 15 g ginger
- 300 ml chicken stock
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 3 pieces spring onion
Preparation
6 Steps
2
StepToast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over low heat for about a minute, until they smell citrusy and start to crackle. Tip out, cool and grind to a coarse powder.
3
StepHeat the neutral oil in a wok over high heat and fry the pork, breaking it up, for 3 to 4 minutes until the pink has gone and the edges are browned and crisp. Push it to one side.
4
StepTurn the heat to medium, add the doubanjiang and chilli oil to the clear side of the wok and fry for a full minute until the oil turns deep red and smells sweet rather than raw. Add the chopped black beans, minced garlic and ginger and fry 30 seconds more, then stir everything together.
5
StepSplash in the Shaoxing wine, add the stock and soy sauce and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the tofu and slide it in, then push it gently under the surface with the back of a ladle and simmer 3 minutes without stirring.
6
StepMix the cornflour with 4 tablespoons of cold water and add it in three additions, shaking the wok between each, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to cling to the tofu. Take off the heat, scatter over the ground Sichuan pepper and the spring onion, and serve with plain rice.
Chef's Tip
Slide the tofu cubes into lightly salted simmering water for two minutes before they go in the sauce — it firms them just enough to survive the stirring and stops them leaking water into the pan. Push the tofu with the back of a ladle rather than a spoon, and never stir hard.
Comments (3)
the doubanjiang from my asian shop was much saltier so i cut the soy sauce in half
good instinct, brands vary a lot. always taste the sauce before the tofu goes in
made it without the pork and added chopped shiitake instead. still deeply savoury
toasting and grinding the peppercorns fresh makes a huge difference to the numbing