Silken tofu simmered in a fiery, numbing Sichuan sauce with ground pork, fermented beans and Sichuan peppercorn, a bold regional classic.
Mapo tofu is one of Sichuan cuisine's most famous exports, its name referring to a pockmarked old woman said to have first sold the dish, its sauce built on the region's signature combination of chile and numbing Sichuan peppercorn. Douban jiang, a fermented broad bean and chile paste, forms the backbone of the sauce, its funky, deeply savory heat impossible to replicate with any single substitute, cooked with ground pork until fragrant and richly red. Soft silken tofu is added gently at the end so it stays intact, simmering just long enough to absorb the sauce's flavor, and the whole dish is finished with a generous dusting of ground Sichuan peppercorn for the distinctive mala, or numbing-spicy, sensation the region is known for.
Serves 4
Gently blanch the silken tofu cubes in simmering salted water for 2 minutes to firm them slightly, then drain carefully.
Heat oil in a wok and stir-fry the ground pork until browned and slightly crisp, about 5 minutes.
Add doubanjiang, fermented black beans, garlic and ginger, stirring 2 minutes until the oil turns red and fragrant.
Pour in chicken stock and soy sauce, bringing to a simmer.
Gently slide the blanched tofu into the sauce, simmering 5 minutes without stirring vigorously to keep the cubes intact.
Stir very gently or simply shake the pan instead of stirring with a spoon — silken tofu breaks apart easily under too much agitation.
Stir the cornstarch slurry once more and pour it in gradually, gently folding to thicken the sauce.
Sprinkle generously with ground Sichuan peppercorn and scallions, and serve immediately over rice.
Blanch the silken tofu briefly before adding it to the sauce — this firms it up just enough to survive the rest of cooking without disintegrating.
Handle the tofu very gently once it's in the sauce, shaking the pan rather than stirring vigorously with a spoon.
Use real doubanjiang (Pixian broad bean paste) rather than a generic chili sauce — its fermented depth is essential and can't be substituted convincingly.
A vegetarian version replaces the pork with mushrooms or a plant-based ground meat substitute.
Adjust the ground Sichuan peppercorn up or down depending on how much numbing sensation you prefer.
Beef can replace pork for a slightly different, richer flavor in some regional variations.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently over low heat, stirring minimally to keep the tofu intact.
Mapo tofu originates in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, with a popular legend crediting its creation to a pockmarked woman (ma po) who ran a small restaurant, and it remains one of the most internationally recognized dishes of Sichuan cuisine.
It's worth seeking out at an Asian grocery specifically, since it's the defining flavor of the dish; a generic chili bean sauce is a distant substitute at best.
Yes, though the texture will be noticeably different — firm tofu holds up more easily but lacks the signature silky, custard-like quality of the traditional dish.
Silken tofu is very delicate — always handle it gently, shaking the pan rather than stirring vigorously, and consider blanching it briefly beforehand to firm it up.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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