Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

Dinko's Introduction

This dish is an absolute classic that should be part of every Chinese cook's repertoire. It was one of the first dishes that I learned about when I started studying Chinese when I was a kid. Make it as spicy as you like and use fresh Sichuan peppercorn powder if possible. Everyone has their own version of this dish, so if your grandma made it differently, don't blame me! 😅

Ingredients

1 box (16 oz) — tofu (medium-soft firmness)

1/1 lb — ground beef or ground pork

2 cloves — garlic, sliced

1 stalk — scallion greens, sliced

1 tbsp — fermented bean paste (douban jiang)

1 tbsp — hot chili oil

1 tsp — Sichuan ground peppercorn powder

1 tbsp — soy sauce

1 tsp — corn starch

Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Drain tofu and cut into 1/2 inch cubes and place in a bowl of lightly-salted room temperature water
2. Brown the meat in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Once the meat has browned, add the garlic and fermented bean paste and continue to saute.
3. After 1-2 minutes, remove the tofu from the water and add to the pan. Slowly stir the tofu into the meat, being careful not to break the tofu pieces. Add a tablespoon or two of water to prevent sticking. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
4. Combine corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the pan along with the soy sauce, salt, chili oil and Sichuan peppercorn powder.
5. Remove from heat and add scallion greens. Serve with rice.

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