Best Extra Tasty Mapo Doufu Recipes

MAPO TOFU

Mapo Tofu image

This mapo tofu recipe is the true blue, authentic real deal-the spicy, tongue-numbing, rice-is-absolutely-not-optional mapo tofu that you get in the restaurants!

Provided by Kaitlin

Categories Tofu

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

½ cup oil ((divided))
1-2 fresh Thai bird chili peppers ((thinly sliced))
6-8 dried red chilies ((roughly chopped))
1/2- 1 1/2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
3 tablespoons ginger ((finely minced))
3 tablespoons garlic ((finely minced))
8 ounces ground pork ((225g))
1-2 tablespoons spicy bean sauce ((depending on your desired salt/spice levels))
2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth ((or water))
1 pound silken tofu ((450g, cut into 1 inch cubes))
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil ((optional))
1/4 teaspoon sugar ((optional))
1 scallion ((finely chopped))

Steps:

First, we toast the chilies. If you have homemade toasted chili oil, you can skip this step. Heat your wok or a small saucepan over low heat. Add ¼ cup of the oil and throw in the fresh and dried peppers. Stir occasionally and heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes, ensuring that the peppers don't burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat the remaining ¼ cup of oil in your wok over medium heat. Add the ginger. After 1 minute, add the garlic. Fry for another minute, and then turn up the heat to high and add the ground pork. Break up the meat and fry it until it's cooked through. Add your ground Sichuan peppercorns and stir for about 15-30 seconds, taking care to not let it burn, as it will turn bitter if it does.
Add the spicy bean sauce to the mixture and stir it in well. Add ⅔ cups of chicken broth to the wok and stir. Let this simmer for a minute or so. While that's happening, ready your tofu and also put a ¼ cup of water in a small bowl with your cornstarch and mix until thoroughly combined.
Add the cornstarch mixture to your sauce and stir. Let it bubble away until the sauce starts to thicken. (If it gets too thick, splash in a little more water or chicken stock.)
Then add your chili oil from before-peppers and all! If you are using homemade chili oil, ONLY use the standing oil, as it's likely that you have salted it and you only want the oil, not additional salt. Stir the oil into the sauce, and add the tofu. Use your spatula to gently toss the tofu in the sauce. Let everything cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the sesame oil and sugar (if using) along with the scallions and stir until the scallions are just wilted.
Serve with a last sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorn powder as a garnish if desired.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 335 kcal, Carbohydrate 8 g, Protein 11 g, Fat 29 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Cholesterol 27 mg, Sodium 126 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 2 g, ServingSize 1 serving

SPICY SICHUAN TOFU (MAPO DOUFU)

Spicy Sichuan Tofu (Mapo Doufu) image

Provided by Eileen Wen Mooney

Categories Wok Pork Stir-Fry Quick & Easy Dinner Meat Tofu Soy Sauce Gourmet Dairy Free Tree Nut Free

Yield Makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns,
1 (14- to 17-ounce) package tofu (not silken), rinsed
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
5 ounce ground pork butt (not lean; 2/3 cup)
2 1/2 tablespoons toban jiang (hot bean sauce)
1 tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed, drained, and chopped
2 teaspoon Asian chile powder
1 cup chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons water
4 scallions, chopped (1/2 cup)
Equipment:
Equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder; a well-seasoned 14-inch flat-bottomed wok.

Steps:

Grind peppercorns in grinder and set aside.
Cut tofu into 3/4-inch cubes and pat dry.
Heat wok over high heat until it begins to smoke, then pour oil down side and swirl to coat bottom and side. Stir-fry pork until no longer pink. Add bean sauce, black beans, and chile powder and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in stock, soy sauce, sugar, tofu, and a pinch of salt. Simmer, gently stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together cornstarch and water until smooth.
Stir cornstarch mixture into stir-fry and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Stir in scallions and simmer 1 minute. Serve sprinkled with Sichuan pepper.
**Serve with:**perfect steamed rice