Mapo Tofu
The Sichuan classic: soft tofu in a glossy, fiery sauce of doubanjiang and ground pork, finished with numbing Sichuan pepper. Rice essential.
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total
- 30 min
- serves
- 3
- level
- medium
Mapo tofu is built on one jar: doubanjiang, the fermented chili-bean paste of Pixian. Fried until it stains the oil red, it provides the deep, savory heat that no combination of chili and soy can fake.
The other signature arrives last: toasted, ground Sichuan peppercorns scattered over the finished dish, bringing the tingling má that gives mapo its name and its fame.
Mapo Tofu is one of the world's classic dishes from 67 countries.
method
Slide the tofu cubes into a pot of barely simmering salted water for 2 minutes, then drain gently. This seasons them and keeps them from breaking.
Heat the oil in a wok and crisp the pork, breaking it fine.
Lower the heat, add the doubanjiang and fry for a minute until the oil turns red. Add the black beans, garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
Pour in the stock, add the soy and sugar, and slide in the tofu. Simmer for 5 minutes, pushing the tofu gently rather than stirring.
Add the cornstarch slurry in two additions, letting the sauce turn glossy and cling to the tofu.
Scatter with spring onions, the ground Sichuan pepper and chili oil, and serve over rice.
chef's tips
- Doubanjiang quality decides the dish. Look for Pixian (Pixan/Sichuan) on the label; supermarket chili-garlic sauce is a different thing.
- Blanching the tofu first is the difference between cubes and crumbs.
- The Sichuan pepper goes on at the end, off the heat; cooked long, it loses the tingle and keeps only bitterness.