Mapo Tofu

It's amazing how something so delicious and be so easy to make! The key to this recipe is making sure you have the right type of chillibean paste. Click here for instructions on how to prepare authentic chillibean paste.

Tina's Tips:  Never add cold water to a hot dish. Boil the water first! Ingredients (Serves 4): 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil 3/4 tsp. finely chopped ginger ~ 150 g ground pork 2 tsp. Chinese cooking wine (optional) 4 Tbsp. chilli bean paste (if you choose to use the chilli bean paste right out of the package, make sure you chop it first and only add 2 Tbsp) 1 tsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. soy sauce ~ 800 grams medium firm tofu cubed Boiled water (~ 1/2 to 3/4 cup) 2 Tbsp. starch 6 Tbsp. cold water 2 tsp ground Szechuan pepper corn 1 tbsp chopped green onions Directions: Start by coating pan evenly with oil. Turn the heat to high. Add ginger to the oil and wait for the oil to heat up. Once ginger starts to cook (oil is heated) add ground pork. Once pork is fully cooked, add cooking wine (optional) and chilli bean paste. Stir. Turn heat down to medium. Add sugar and soy sauce. Stir.  Add tofu and then turn heat to high. Once sauce starts to boil, add boiled water (enough to half cover the tofu). Turn heat to low medium to allow the tofu to simmer in the sauce to soak in the flavours. No need to stir at this point. Do not cover (water needs to evaporate). Wait for the sauce to thicken (~15 min). Prepare the starch by adding cold water to starch and stirring until well mixed. Set aside. Once most of the water has evaporated, turn heat to high (you want the tofu to keep cooking even after the cool starch water is added). Stir to remix the starch and add to tofu. Gently stir. Remove from heat within 30 secs. Place mapo tufo in bowl and garnish with chopped green onion and sprinkle with ground Szechuan pepper corn.

Start by coating pan evenly with oil. Turn the heat to high.  Add ginger to the oil and wait for the oil to heat up.  Once ginger starts to cook (oil is heated) add ground pork.

Once pork is fully cooked, add cooking wine (optional) and chilli bean paste. Stir.

Turn heat down to medium. Add sugar and soy sauce. Stir.  Add tofu. Turn heat to high.

Once sauce starts to boil, add boiled water (enough to half cover the tofu).  Turn heat to low medium to allow the tofu to simmer in the sauce to soak in the flavours.  No need to stir at this point.  Do not cover (water needs to evaporate).   Wait for the sauce to thicken (~15 min).

Prepare the starch by adding cold water to starch and stirring until well mixed.

Once most of the water has evaporated, turn heat to high  (as you want the tofu to keep cooking even after the cool starch water is added).  Add starch. Gently stir. Remove from heat within 30 secs.

Place mapo tufo in bowl and garnish with chopped green onion and sprinkle with ground Szechuan pepper corn.