Mapo tofu
Mapo tofu is soft tofu and minced meat in a fiery, numbing sauce of chili bean paste and Sichuan pepper. It is rich, spicy and best over steamed rice.
Chen Mapo Tofu: ZhengZhou, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Where it comes from
The dish comes from Chengdu in Sichuan, and its name is usually explained as being tied to its creator, an elderly pockmarked woman cook. It remains a core dish of Sichuan cuisine.
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Recipe
Make Mapo tofu at home
Ingredients
- 1 block (14 oz) soft or silken tofu, cubed
- 6 oz ground pork or beef
- 2 tablespoons doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
- 1 tablespoon fermented black beans
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- 3 scallions, sliced
How it's made
- Slide the tofu into simmering salted water for 2 minutes to firm it, then drain gently.
- Brown the meat in 2 tablespoons oil until crisp.
- Add doubanjiang, black beans, garlic and ginger and cook until the oil turns red, 1 minute.
- Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer.
- Add the tofu and simmer 5 minutes, nudging gently rather than stirring.
- Thicken with the cornstarch mixture, sprinkle with Sichuan pepper and scallions, and serve with rice.
Variations
- Vegetarian mapo tofu with mushrooms
- Mapo eggplant
- Mild family-style version
Cook’s tip: Use a spatula to push, not stir, so the tofu keeps its shape.
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About this page
Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.
Photo credit
- Chen Mapo Tofu: ZhengZhou, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)