Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐

My husband is a big fan of tofu and I am always trying to think of different ways to cook tofu. Whenever I run out of ideas, Mapo Tofu becomes my default tofu dish. It's an easy enough dish requiring simple ingredients which I almost always have in my kitchen. Once I even cooked two different versions of Mapo Tofu (Sichuan & Japanese) for the same dinner - to give him 'above and beyond' what he has asked for.

In Chinese cuisine, Mapo Tofu is a well-loved dish commonly found in restaurants and homes. The original Sichuan version comes with generous portions of Sichuan peppercorn and chili oil. The tongue-numbing fiery taste is very appetizing and delicious, but not for the faint-hearted. 

Mapo Tofu has also become popular in other Asia regions with the flavor adapted to local tastes. One country where it has been adapted so successfully that it has become a dish of its own is Japan, where it's known as Mabo Doufu. The dish was introduced by Chef Chen Kenmin who migrated from Sichuan to Japan in 1950's and opened the first Sichuan restaurant in Tokyo. To cater to Japanese tastebuds, Chen included sweet bean paste in the recipe and made the dish less spicy and oily. It was obviously the right move as Mabo Doufu can now be found in many Japanese restaurants, homes and grocery stores (instant sauces). 

My recipe for Mabo Tofu is a hybrid between the Sichuan and Japanese versions. The idea came from mixing leftovers of the 2 types together......it has some of the spiciness of the Sichuan version  as well as the sweetness of the Japanese version. 

Hope you enjoy this simple homey dish as much as we do!

RECIPE FOR MAPO TOFU

Serves 3-4

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Ingredients
1 block of soft or firm tofu (540g/19 oz)

1 tbsp sesame oil
120g (1/4 lb) ground pork (or ground beef)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tbsp ginger (minced)
2 tbsp spicy bean paste
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp chinese rice wine
1 tbsp soy sauce

1 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder (optional)

1 or 2 tbsp chili oil *

2 stalks scallion (chopped)

* To make your own chili oil, add 3 tbsp hot oil (just starting to smoke) to 1 tbsp dried chili flakes, give it a stir and allow it to sit for 15-30 minutes. Chili oil can also be purchased from Asia grocery store.

Steps:

Drain the water from tofu, cut into 3/4 inch cubes and set aside. 


Over medium-high heat, heat up sesame oil in wok (or large pan). Add ground pork, stir-fry and break into small pieces. When pork is almost cooked, add garlic and ginger. Stir fry till aromatic.

Add spicy bean paste and fry till aromatic. Add sugar, chinese rice wine, soy sauce and water.

Add tofu and gently stir. Bring sauce to boil. After it boils, turn to medium-low heat and allow tofu to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add cornstarch pre-mixed with water and stir gently. Cook till the sauce thickens. 

Drizzle with chili oil. Add chopped scallion and sichuan peppercorn powder (optional) before serving hot.