Sichuan: Land of Spice & Pandas
A legendary Chinese dish from Sichuan province, Mapo Tofu combines tender silken tofu with a rich, spicy, and numbing sauce, typically featuring ground pork or beef, fermented broad bean paste, and Sichuan peppercorns.
Ingredients
- 1 pound silken tofu cut into 1-inch cubes
- 0.5 pound ground pork or beef
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan pixian doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste)
- 1 tablespoon fermented black beans rinsed and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 0.5 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns toasted and ground
- 2 tablespoons chili oil plus more for serving
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (slurry)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 stalks scallions chopped
Instructions
- Gently parboil tofu cubes in lightly salted water for 2-3 minutes; drain carefully to remove excess water and firm them up. Set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground pork/beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned and crispy. Drain excess fat.
- Push meat to one side, then add doubanjiang and fermented black beans to the other side. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the oil turns red.
- Add minced garlic and ginger, stir-fry for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Gently add the drained tofu cubes to the sauce.
- Stir in the ground Sichuan peppercorns and chili oil. Let it simmer for 5 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry and slowly add it to the simmering sauce, stirring until it thickens to your desired consistency.
- Garnish generously with chopped scallions and a drizzle of extra chili oil. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, omit the ground meat and use mushroom broth. Adjust Sichuan peppercorns and chili oil to your preferred spice and numbing level. Serve hot with steamed white rice.