Mapo tofu (or mapo doufu) is one of my all time favourite Chinese dishes and it’s easy to make at home! This is a Sichuan style of Chinese dish where tofu is served in a super tasty chili and black bean pork sauce. The authentic/traditional version of this recipe includes a few ingredients that you might need to make a trip to an Asian grocery store to find but it’s well worth it. The first ingredient is Sichuan peppercorns (花椒) which have a distinct flavour/aroma along with a slight mouth numbing effect that pairs perfectly with the heat of the chilies! Speaking of which, the chili heat comes from the doubanjiang (豆瓣酱) which is a spicy fermented bean paste and the last ingredient is douchi (豆豉) or fermented black beans. Once you have these ingredients, everything is super easy to make, taking less that 20 minutes which is just enough time to steam some rice to serve it with!
Mapo Tofu
A tasty sichuan Chinese style tofu served in a tasty chili and pork sauce!
ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed into 2 tablespoons of cool water
- 1 pound firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chili oil (or to taste)
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
directions
- Cook the pork in a large sauce pan until lightly browned before setting aside.
- Add the oil and heat before adding the garlic, ginger, doubanjiang, and Sichuan peppercorn powder, and cooking until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch slurry, and cook until the sauce thickens a bit, about a minute.
- Add the pork and tofu, gently mix, and cook until the tofu is warm.
- Mix in the sesame oil, chili oil, and green onions and enjoy!
Option: If you cannot find doubanjiang, use a chili sauce like sambal oelek or sriracha instead.
Option: If you cannot find Sichuan peppercorns, simply omit them.
Option: Add 1 tablespoon fermented black beans after soaking them in just boiled water for 20 minutes and chopping them.
Option: Add a bit of sugar to balance out the flavours.
Gloria says
January 15, 2008 at 1:12 amYour tofu looks so nice!!! My daugther wants some tofu (she is veggi) I will try this.
Tara says
January 15, 2008 at 3:02 amYou know, I don’t do much with tofu, but have had it at restaurants and I do like it when prepared correctly (with lots of flavor). This looks like something that I would like. Thanks for posting!
tigerfish says
January 15, 2008 at 3:17 amOne of my favs! Always turn to this when I run out of recipes to cook 😛
I used soft silken tofu most of the times though. More silky texture that you can practically spoon lots of it on steamed rice. Oh so yummy!
canarygirl says
January 15, 2008 at 11:44 amLOVE Mapo Tofu! Yours looks delicious!
Nilmandra says
January 15, 2008 at 1:05 pmI’ve not had mapo tofu for a long time. I think it will be on my dinner menu soon! Some people make it with firm tofu and others make it with softer fresh tofu (packed in water). I like both versions.
Nilmandra says
January 15, 2008 at 2:24 pmForgot to mention that you have been tagged 🙂 More information over here:
http://soyandpepper.blogspot.com/2008/01/tag-it.html
Susan says
January 15, 2008 at 3:51 pmI’m not a huge fan of tofu, but it is one of those ingredients that acts like a chameleon. This is my favorite way w/ it – love the textures and spices. Black bean sauce is a nice addition.
MrsPresley says
January 16, 2008 at 3:11 amoh my! this is one of my favorite chinese dishes but i have never come across a recipe (granted, i never looked!). thank you! i can’t wait to try this 🙂
Ferdzy says
January 16, 2008 at 4:00 amDamn,I love that stuff. I think I am going to have to make some soon too.
amysep says
January 17, 2008 at 10:29 pmAs I’ve been left fat, bloated and gross from my eating/drinking fest in Madrid (and the holiday binge-fest), this looks like an excellent veggie meal during my detox week. I’ve been looking for some decent-looking tofu recipes!! Like your blog… thanks for the inspiration. Amy @ neverfull.wordpress.com