Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

About This Recipe

Mapo Tofu is the queen of Sichuan home cooking — a dish of extraordinary depth built from humble ingredients. Silken tofu trembles in a rust-red sauce that delivers simultaneous heat, umami, numbing spice and richness. The dish originates from Chengdu, Sichuan, and was created in the 19th century at Chen's restaurant near the city's north gate. 'Mapo' (麻婆) translates to 'pockmarked old woman', referring to the proprietress, Chen Liu.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gsilken or soft tofu(cut into 2cm cubes)
• 150 gminced pork
• 2 tbspdoubanjiang (chilli bean paste)(Pixian brand if available)
• 1 tbspfermented black beans (douchi)(roughly chopped)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 inchginger(minced)
• 250 mlchicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tspSichuan peppercorns(toasted and ground)
• 1 tbspcornstarch(mixed with 2 tbsp cold water)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 3spring onions(finely sliced, to garnish)
• 1 tspsesame oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Blanch the tofu

   Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a simmer. Gently add tofu cubes and blanch 2 minutes. This firms the tofu and removes the raw taste. Drain carefully.

2. 2

   Fry aromatics

   Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add doubanjiang and fermented black beans — fry 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the oil turns deep red. Add garlic and ginger — fry 30 seconds.

3. 3

   Brown the pork

   Add minced pork. Break up lumps and fry until cooked through, about 3 minutes.

4. 4

   Add stock and tofu

   Pour in stock. Bring to a simmer. Gently slide in tofu — do not stir vigorously or it will break. Simmer 5 minutes, occasionally spooning sauce over tofu.

   Use the back of a spoon to move tofu rather than a spatula.

5. 5

   Thicken the sauce

   Drizzle in cornstarch slurry. Gently stir — the sauce will thicken and turn glossy in about 1 minute. Add sesame oil.

6. 6

   Finish with Sichuan pepper

   Transfer to a bowl. Finish with ground Sichuan peppercorn and spring onions. Serve immediately over steamed rice.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian Mapo Tofu: skip pork, use vegetable stock, replace doubanjiang with a vegan version.

• •

  Mapo Aubergine: substitute tofu with fried aubergine cubes for a different texture.

Storage

Best eaten fresh. Refrigerate up to 2 days — tofu releases water on storing, sauce thins slightly.

Frequently Asked Questions