China
Mapo Tofu
The tingling heart of Sichuan cooking
Legend has it a pockmarked innkeeper (“ma po”) in 19th-century Chengdu invented this dish for passing labourers. Its hallmark is “ma la” – the numbing tingle of Sichuan pepper paired with chilli heat.
Silken tofu in a deep-red sauce of fermented bean paste: creamy, spicy and full of umami. A dish that proves vegetarian can be anything but bland.
Ingredients
- Silken tofu400 g
- Minced pork (optional)150 g
- Doubanjiang (bean paste)2 tbsp
- Sichuan pepper1 tsp
- Garlic & ginger1 tbsp each
- Soy sauce1 tbsp
- Spring onions2
★ = available authentic in the Asia Boutique
Preparation
Dice the tofu and let it sit in lightly salted water (keeps it firm).
Fry the pork crisp in oil, add garlic, ginger and doubanjiang until the oil turns red.
Deglaze with a little stock and soy sauce, gently slip in the tofu.
Simmer briefly, thicken with a starch slurry.
Top with ground Sichuan pepper and spring onion, serve with rice.
Make it original
Pixian doubanjiang and real Sichuan pepper create the signature “ma la”. Available in the Asia Boutique.