Mapo tofu recipe

Soft tofu simmered in red doubanjiang oil and finished with ground roasted peppercorn for the numbing ma of its name.

30 minutesmedium12 ingredients

Ingredients

• 500 g soft tofu
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang
• 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tbsp fermented black beans
• 150 g ground beef
• 1 tbsp chili flakes
• 3 clove garlic
• 10 g ginger
• 3 scallions
• 300 ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

How to make Mapo tofu

1. Cut 500 g of soft tofu into 2 cm cubes and slide them into water salted with 1 tsp salt held just below a simmer for 2 minutes; leave them there. Do not press it, the curd has to stay fragile.
2. Toast 2 tsp of Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan for 1 minute, grind them and set the powder aside; it goes in only at the very end.
3. Fry 150 g of ground beef in 3 tbsp oil over high heat until the pieces separate and turn dry and brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Lower the heat, add 2 tbsp doubanjiang and 1 tbsp of rinsed chopped fermented black beans and fry 1-2 minutes until the oil turns red.
5. Add 3 minced garlic cloves, 10 g of minced ginger and 1 tbsp chili flakes for 30 seconds.
6. Pour in 300 ml chicken stock and 1 tbsp light soy sauce, drain the tofu and slide it in; simmer 5 minutes, nudging it with the back of a ladle instead of stirring.
7. Thicken in three passes with 2 tbsp cornstarch slaked in water, waiting 30 seconds between each, until the sauce clings to every cube.
8. Off the heat, scatter 3 sliced scallions and the ground peppercorn powder. Serve immediately with rice.

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