Mapo Tofu, a fiery Sichuan Recipe, with a Vegetarian Alternative
Mapo Tofu (or Mapo Dofu) recipe. This Sichuan classic is a dish of melt in the mouth silken tofu, covered in a fiery red, earthy, slightly tongue numbing chilli sauce, made with Doubanjiang, the Sichuan chilli bean paste.
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Servings: (Serves 4-6)
Calories: 226kcal
Ingredients
- 100 g minced beef or any minced meat you like
- 450 g silken tofu
- 1 Tbsp sichuan peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 5 cm ginger finely chopped
- 3 spring onions scallions, separated into green and white parts, and sliced
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
- 3 Tbsp doubanjiang
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine or any rice wine or dry sherry
- 125 ml water
- 1 tsp cornflour mixed in 1 Tbsp water
Chilli Oil
- 4 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
- 3 dried red chillies non smoked
- ¼ tsp red chilli flakes
- 5 sichuan peppercorns
Marinade for Meat
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 2.5 cm ginger finely chopped
Instructions
Start by making a simple chilli oil
- 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).1 Tbsp sichuan peppercorns, 5 sichuan peppercorns
- Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over medium high heat and fry the dried chillies for one minute.2 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil, 3 dried red chillies
- 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.¼ tsp red chilli flakes
Marinate the Meat
- 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.1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 2.5 cm ginger, 100 g minced beef
Let's Cook Mapo Tofu
- Cut up the tofu into cubes measuring about 2.5cm (1in).450 g silken tofu
- 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.2 cloves garlic, 5 cm ginger, 3 spring onions
- 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.4 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
- 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.3 Tbsp doubanjiang, 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
- Add the water, stir and bring back to simmering point.125 ml water
- Now stir the cornflour paste in and cook for 20-30 seconds until the sauce has thickened.1 tsp cornflour
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition is based on 6 servings.
Nutrition
Serving: 6 | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
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