This picture is making me salivate as I write this at 1 in the morning. I can still remember how the sauce lingered on my lips, making them feel all warm and tingly. Authentic Sichuan cuisine is not for the faint of heart. The food from the province is damn spicy -- face reddening, sweat inducing, fan-yourself-silly spicy. And not only is it spicy, it numbs your mouth too! The famous ma la, or numb and spicy, sensation comes from the copious use of chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Mapo tofu is one of the best known dishes from the province and has a colorful, slightly controversial, history behind it. The problem with this dish is that its true flavors are drastically muted in many restaurants. Sometimes it looks deceptively red but is not spicy at all! I suspect ketchup... Bah! Ketchup shouldn't be anywhere near this dish. And most of the time, it's missing that critical numbing effect. Up until 2005 the Sichuan peppercorn was banned from the States so not only was it incredibly hard to get the peppercorns *ahem legally* but many chefs chose to leave them out fearing the ma la would be too foreign. Luckily it's getting easier to find restaurants serving authentic Sichuan food but with the right ingredients, this dish is really easy to make at home.
The key ingredients are:
Chili bean paste
- Broad bean chili paste is best but soybean chili paste is okay too. The brand (Lao Gan Ma) I use is a soybean based paste.
Sichuan peppercorns
Optional ingredients:
Fermented black beans
- You can supplement the dish with some additional fermented black beans but it's okay if you can't find them.
Dried chilies
For even more heat if your chili bean paste isn't spicy enough
Mapo Tofu/ Mapo Doufu
1 block soft but not silken tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 oz ground beef (85% or 90% lean) or pork
3 Tbsp chili bean paste
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground or crushed (more or less depending on your tastes)
Dried whole chilis (optional, how much is up to you)
1 Tbsp fermented black beans (optional), rinsed
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice wine
3 slices of ginger
4 green onions, sliced in half lengthwise then cut into 3 inch sections separating the white part from the green part (you add them at different times, reserve some of the green parts to garnish on top)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 C chicken stock
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp water
Salt to taste
If you are using ground beef, brown it first, then drain it of the rendered fat because otherwise the dish will be a little too greasy. Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until the beef is browned and the fat has rendered. Transfer the beef to a sieve to drain the fat and set aside. If you're using ground pork, no need to brown it first.
In the now cleared wok or skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the ginger slices, white part of the green onion, and ground Sichuan peppercorns and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the ground beef that you cooked earlier (or the raw ground pork if you're using that), the chili bean paste, garlic, fermented black beans (if using), soy sauce, rice wine, white pepper, and sugar, and cook for another minute or two. Then add the tofu, green part of the green onions, chicken stock and simmer for about 15 minutes, stir occasionally and carefully so you don't break up the delicate tofu. Meanwhile mix the cornstarch with some water in a small bowl and set aside. After simmering, add the cornstarch slurry and bring up to a simmer again and cook until thickened.
Garnish with chopped green onions and serve with white rice.
Mapo Doufu / Mapo Tofu
Adapted from Land of Plenty
by Fuchsia Dunlop
Serves 4 to 5 as part of a multi-course meal, or 2 to 3 as the main entree
1 block soft tofu (about 1 pound), drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons peanut oil
6 ounces ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, thinly sliced at an angle (or a handful of scallions can be substituted)
2 1/2 tablespoons chili bean paste
1 tablespoon fermented black beans
2 teaspoons ground Sichuan pepper
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
Salt to taste
4 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 6 tablespoons cold water
Optional garnish: 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed roasted Sichuan peppercorn
Heat peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Add pork and stir-fry until crispy and starting to brown but not yet dry. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and leeks and stir-fry until fragrant. Add chili bean paste, black beans, and ground Sichuan pepper, and stir-fry for about 1 minute, until the oil is a rich red color.
Pour in the stock and stir well. Mix in the drained tofu gently by pushing the back of your ladle or wok scoop gently from the edges to the center of the wok or pan; don't stir or the tofu may break up. Season with the sugar, soy sauce, and salt to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes, allowing the tofu has absorb the flavors of the sauce. Then add the cornstarch mixture in 2 or 3 stages, mixing well, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. (Don't add more than you need). Serve while still hot in a deep plate or wide bowl. Garnish with optional scallions or crushed Sichuan peppercorn.
http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/mapo-doufu-mapo-tofu
Ma Po Tofu (Chinese Pockmarked Old Lady's Tofu)
You'll need:
1 package soft tofu (The original recipe calls for soft tofu, but I prefer firm because it's easier to cook with since it doesn't fall apart.)
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, or more if you can stand it. (I grind mine with a mortar and pestle to release the aroma and oils in the peppercorns.)
A few ounces of pork, minced finely
Chili peppers, as many as you can stand, the more the better
1 tblsp fermented bean curd
1 tblsp soy sauce
2 tsp black bean sauce
2 tblsp of corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup of broth, or water if you don't have any broth available.
Optional: 2 scallions, sliced thinly, and a small bunch of cilantro, minced.
Slice tofu into 1-inch cubes. Set aside. Dissolve cornstarch in broth, or water, and set aside.
In a dry wok or saute pan on high heat, lightly toast the Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers to release the oils and fragrance. Then drizzle a tablespoon or so of sesame oil and saute the minced pork for about a minute. Add the fermented bean curd, black bean sauce, and soy sauce. Mash the bean curd if it's still in a cube, and make sure to mash the sauce into the meat until thoroughly mixed. Add the cornstarch broth and mix again. Give it a few minutes for the cornstarch to thicken the sauce and then add the tofu cubes. Stir everything again.
If you wish, for a bit of color, I like to add minced cilantro and sliced scallions.
Serve with rice.
http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2007/04/ma-po-tofu-pockmarked-old-ladys-tofu.html
The last time I cooked mapo tofu, I used tausi, or salted black beans. It was great although I found the cooked dish a tad too “strong”. I wanted it more mellow, the saltiness less pronounced. So, I substituted salted yellow beans, added minced ginger and some fresh Chinese coriander, omitted the soya sauce and added a few other ingredients…
What do you know? My mapo tofu just got better. And, guess what? I handled the silken tofu better this time–I was able to cut them into perfect cubes and they retained their shape during cooking. Practice makes perfect.
Ingredients :
1 200-300 g. pack of silken tofu, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/4 kilo of ground pork
1 tbsp. of finely minced garlic
1 tsp. of finely minced ginger
1 heaping tbsp. of salted yellow beans
1 tbsps. of chili bean paste
1 tsp. of sambal oelek
1/2 tsp. of minced lemongrass
1 tbsp. of cooking oil
1/2 c. of meat broth
a few stalks Chinese coriander, leaves removed and stalks discarded
Cooking procedure :
Heat the cooking oil in a cooking pan. Add the ground pork and cook until lightly browned. Add the minced garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes or until fragrant. Add the salted yellow beans, lemongrass, chili bean paste, sambal oelek and cook for about a minute. Pour in the broth and bring to a soft boil. Add the cubed silken tofu and stir lightly. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with fresh Chinese coriander.
Serve hot.
http://www.pinoycook.net/mapo-tofu-take-2/2/
http://sundaynitedinner.com/mapo-tofu/
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