Best Mabu Dofu Spicy Tofu Recipes

JAPANESE MAPO TOFU (MABO DOFU)

Steps:

• Enjoy!

MABU DOFU (SPICY TOFU)

Steps:

• Press tofu and cut into small cubes.
• Mince onion, garlic, and ginger root.
• Mix water, miso, sugar, sake, salt, and bouillon in a bowl.
• Heat oil in a wok and saute onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flake.
• Add ground pork in the wok and saute.
• Add miso mixture in the wok and bring to a boil.
• Add tofu and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Mix cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water and pour into the wok.
• Stir carefully and pour sesame oil.
• Serve with rice or noodles and enjoy!

MAPO TOFU

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.

CHINESE MABO TOFU

Steps:

• Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl; set aside.
• Brown ground pork in a small skillet over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Drain fat.
• Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Cook the garlic and ginger root in the oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tofu and cook for 2 minutes. Season with the soy sauce, hot bean sauce, and sugar; stir to combine.
• Stir in the cooked pork and green onion. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and water mixture; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir the sesame oil into the thickened mabo tofu.

MABO DOFU

Steps:

• Heat the sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook and stir the ginger and garlic until the garlic just begins to brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in the pork, breaking it up as you stir, and cook and stir until the pork is browned and broken into small pieces. Add the chili bean sauce, soy sauce, sake, and oyster sauce, stir to mix the ingredients together, reduce heat, and let simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3 more minutes.
• Thin the sauce with water as needed (sauce should not be watery) and gently stir in the tofu. Simmer until the tofu is hot and coated with sauce, about 10 minutes, stirring a few more times. Serve sprinkled with chopped green onion.

MAPO DOFU: SPICY TOFU WITH MEAT SAUCE (SZECHWAN STYLE)

Steps:

• In a large sturdy frying pan (preferably a 12" one), saute the onions and the garlic in the oils until onions are somewhat tender (saute less if using green onions).
• Add in the ground meat and chop it up with your spatula as you stir-fry. Continue until meat is no longer pink (takes only a few minutes--do not overcook!).
• Add in ginger, chili paste (to taste--leave it out if cooking for a toddler), sake or other wine, soy sauce, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, skimming off fat, if needed.
• Add in the cubed tofu and stir gently, while trying to avoid breaking up the cubes. Cook only until tofu is coated and hot (not long!).
• Stir the cornstarch into a few tablespoons of water--just to moisten--and add this mixture slowly to the meat and tofu--stirring constantly.
• Scoop heaping portions of the mapo dofu over steamed white rice and let guests add in more chili paste, if they desire.