Mapo Tofu Recipe (Ma Po Dou Fu)
Mapo Tofu is a popular Chinese dish from the Sichuan Province. This region is well known for it´s spicy food. The signature spice of the region – the Sichuan Peppercorns – gives dishes a unique fantastic effect. But the Sichuan isn´t a real pepper, they are seeds of a citrus plant. The spiciness has a unique citrus taste. This fact makes those peppercorns so popular in China. The recipe for Mapo Tofu unites the spiciness of chilis and of the Sichuan pepper. Our original recipe is very spicy. You should adjust the amount of chilis and peppers to your own sensibility.
4 SERVINGS
Ingredients
1 ½ tbs ground Sichuan pepper
4 tbs neutral oil
2 fresh Thai bird chili peppers, thinly sliced
6 dried red chilis, chopped
3 tbs ginger, minced
3 tbs garlic, minced
250 g ground pork
1-2 tbs black bean sauce
100 ml chicken stock
450 g silken tofu, diced
1 ½ tsp cornstarch
1 spring onion, chopped
Heat wok or a small saucepan over low heat. Add 2 tbs oil and stir in fresh and dried chilis. Stir for about 5 minutes, ensuring that the peppers don’t burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
Now heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add ground Sichuan pepper and stir fry for 30 seconds. Sir in ginger and add garlic after one more minute. Fry for another minute. Turn up heat to high and add minced meat. Stir fry until it is cooked through.
Add black bean sauce and stir well. Deglanze with ⅔ of the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Simmer for one minute. Mix cornstarch with 3-4 tbs warm water.
Make a creamy sauce
Now add cornstarch mixture to sauce. (If it gets too thick add a little more water.) Next add chili oil from the beginning. Add tofu dice. Use your spatula to gently toss tofu into the sauce. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Serve Mapo Tofu with some extra Sichuan pepper powder as a garnish with spring onion. Eat with fresh cooked rice.
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