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Close up of a bowl of mapo tofu

Mapo Tofu

A popular classic Chinese dish from the Sichuan province, mapo tofu is a tender tofu dish that's appetising, spicy, numbing, flavourful and umami-packed.
Not only is this a quick and easy dish to make (just 15 minutes!), it can easily be turned into a vegan dish by omitting the pork and still absolutely scrumptious!
4.78 from 9 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 364kcal

Ingredients

  • 500 g / 1 pound tofu NOT 'silken' tofu, cut into small 2 cm/1 inch cubes
  • 250 g / 9 ounces pork mince substitutes: chicken or beef mince
  • 1 cm ginger minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon spicy doubanjiang or non-spicy ones (note 1)
  • 2 teaspoon chilli powder 3 teaspoon for extra spicy. Substitute: chilli flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn (can be optional)
  • 2 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt adjust to taste
  • 3 tablespoon oil
  • 2 spring onions aka scallions, finely sliced

Thickening mixture

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ¼ cup cold water

Instructions

  • In a large non-stick pan or wok, fry garlic and ginger on medium heat with oil until lightly golden and aromatic.
  • Add pork mince and brown on high heat, breaking the chunks apart with a spatula.
  • Push the pork mixture to the rims of the pan, making room in the middle of the pan/wok. Add spicy doubanjiang and fry on medium heat to 'wake the spice' up, for about 1 minute. Add in chilli powder, sugar and Sichuan peppercorn (if using). Mix everything in the pan well.
  • Add soy sauce and 1 cup of water. Mix well then gently add tofu cubes. Lift the pan/wok off the stove and gently swirl the pan to combine tofu with the pork sauce. Bring up to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer (without a lid) for 3 - 5 minutes.
  • To make the thickening mixture, combine cold water with cornstarch and mix well. Pour the thickening mixture into the pan and gently swirl the pan to thicken the sauce and coat the tofu.
  • Sprinkle spring onions into the pan, simmer for a further 30 seconds then serve.

Video

Notes

1. Spicy vs non-spicy doubanjiang and substitutes. Doubanjiang are sold in jars are most Asian grocery stores. Spicy doubanjiang are dark red and non-spicy doubanjiang are dark brown. Either are good to use, if using non-spicy simply add extra chilli powder to suit your tastebuds. Substitutes: although not the same, but miso or fermented black beans can be used instead to add the desired rich umami-ness to this dish.
Handle tofu very gently - they break easily! When stirring, take extra care to avoid breaking them apart as they can turn mush like very easily. As such, keep stirring with a spatula to a minimum.
When thickening the sauce, swirl the pan rather than stir with a spatula. This will minimise the risk of tofu breaking. Watch my video below in the recipe card for reference.
Tofu takes on flavours really well and turn silky, creamy, tender soft once cooked! Thus, even though they can be consumed straight out of the packet/container, simmering for 5 minutes on low heat will result in much more flavoursome and delicious, tender tofu.
Add more or less chilli and Sichuan peppercorn to suit your tastebuds. You can also add fresh chilli into this dish for that extra kick!
Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!

Nutrition

Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.6g | Protein: 21.2g | Fat: 28.9g | Saturated Fat: 7.4g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 1.7g | Calcium: 272mg | Iron: 3mg