Mapo Toufu 麻婆豆腐

About Mapo Tofu

Mapo Toufu

        Mapo tofu also known as Chen Mapo Tofu (陈麻婆豆腐), it is a well-known dish from the province of Szechuan in China, the dish itself is spicy and is able to numb your tongue, and is consist of bean curd, minced meat, chili and Szechuan pepper, sometimes, eggplant could also be the main ingredients of this dish. Mapo tofu was founded in the Qing Dynasty, created by the Chen lady boss in the restaurant of Wanfu Bridge in Cheng Du.

    The appearance of the Mapo Tofu is bright red in color, contrasted with red, green, and white, the bean curd should be nice in shape without collapse, as we know the bean curd is fragile and break easily. The taste is the harmony of numb, spice, hot, soft, chewy, and fragrant.

    Mapo tofu is one of the dishes which highlighted the taste of the hot and spicy in Szechuan cuisine.

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ready in: 20 min

Yields: 2 people 

Ingredients:

one block	Soft beancurd	cubed
120 grams	Minced pork
1 stick	leek	brunoise
1/3 stick	spring onion	brunoise
300 ml	chicken stock
2 tablespoon	diluted corn starch
2 tablespoon	vegetable oil
one pinch	Szechuan Pepper powder
1 teaspoon	(A)Grated garlic
1 tablespoon	(A)Doubanjiang
1/2 tablespoon	(A)Sweet Bean Sauce
1 teaspoon	(A)Chili Oil
1 teaspoon	(A)Chinese Douchi / Fermented Black Beans
1 teaspoon	(B)Soysauce
1 teaspoon	(B)Oyster Sauce
one pinch	(B)Ground black pepper

Method:

1) Mise en place: cube the beancurd with 2x2cm. Brunoise or thin slice the leek and spring onion.

2) Mise en place: Chopped the salted black bean. Dilute the cornstarch with the water with the same ratio.

3) Heat a pan and begin to fry the minced pork, until the minced pork released the fat.

4) Seize the fire, then add in all the group (A) ingredient into the sauteed pork.

5) Apply the heat and cook the mixture until fragrant, then add the chicken stock, bring to a boil then seize fire when it reaches the boiling point.

6) Simmer a pot of water and add a pinch of salt in it (The water is just enough to blanch the beancurd).

7)  Blanching the beancurd will harden the protein in the beancurd, hence, the beancurd will hardly collapse compare to the one which is without blanching.

8) Strain off the beancurd water, then adds the beancurd into the pan of spicy sauce.

9) bring the Mapo Tofu to simmering, add extra chicken stock if needed.

10) Season with group (B) ingredients.

11) Add the brunoise leek and spring onion, while heating up and thicken the Mapo Tofu with diluted corn starch.

12) Scoop the beancurd carefully into a plate then enjoy.

Cooking with picture Stir the minced pork in a hot wok/pan with vegetable oil. Add the group (A) ingredient when the meat is cooked. Then you will have a spicy look of the mixture, seize the fire and go to next step. Blanch the bean curd with the simmering salt water. Strain off the water in the bean curd. Add the bean curd into the spicy meat sauce, adjust the liquid. Adjust the taste with group (C) ingredient, taste it then add the leek and spring onion. Mix well everything but dont't break the beancurd.