Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐

Best know for its unique aroma and delicious gravy, Ma Po Tofu 麻婆豆腐 is a popular Szechuan dish that is known everywhere around the world. Filled with the fragrance of fermented beans and Szechuan pepper corn... best served with a hot bowl of steamed rice!

📝 Ingredients

• 100 grams meat (minced)
• 450 grams white soft tofu (1 box)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang (spicy fermented broadband and chilli paste)
• 1/2 tbsp fermented black beans (douchi)
• 2 stalks scallion (spring onion, chopped)
• 5 clove garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 tbsp ground sichuan peppercorn
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 400 ml water
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp water

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Prepare Ingredients: ---
2. 2Have ready the ingredients needed: chopped green scallion, tofu cubes, mince meat, doubanjiang and fermented black bean.
3. 3Also chopped white scallion, chopped garlic and sichuan peppercorn.
4. 4After mincing meat, marinade with sesame oil and salt in a bowl. Then cut a block of silken white tofu into cubes. Lastly, make cornstarch mixture by combining cornstarch with water in a small bowl and set aside for later use.
5. 5Next boil some water in a saucepan and cook the tofu cubes for about one minute. Then drain well by straining through a large sieve. Set aside and we're ready to fry mapo tofu!
6. 6--- Fry Mapo Tofu: ---
7. 7Heat vegetable oil on medium heat and fry marinated meat till just cooked. Remove meat from frying pan and set aside.
8. 8Heat up the same oil. Then add in doubanjiang and stir fry till aromatic. Then add in the chopped scallion, garlic, fermented black bean and ground sichuan pepper. Continue to stir fry till the spices aroma is released. Then add in water.
9. 9Once the water mixture comes to a boil, add the tofu and gently stir without mashing up the tofu. Then, add soy sauce and fried meat. Gently stir to ensure the tofu and meat are well mixed.
10. 10Bring the sauce mixture to a boil. Then turn heat to low and allow to simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Lastly swirl in the cornstarch solution in batches, gently stir until the sauce thickens. And we're done! Turn off heat and transfer the tofu mixture into a serving bowl.
11. 11Serve the Mapo Tofu immediately, warm over hot steamed rice and ENJOY!