Hot, spicy, mouthwatering Mapo Tofu embodies the ideals of Sichuan with bold spice and textural contrast. This dish has been a favorite across China since its invention in 1862. My version is so authentic, you'll never eat takeout again! This recipe features the secret to cooking perfect cubes of tender silken tofu.
2⅓Tbspneutral cooking oillike avocado or canola / 菜籽油,适量
½tspsalt食用盐,3克
Instructions
Blanch the tofu 豆腐焯水
Heat ½ tsp salt and 8 cups of water on medium high (Duxtop 7.0 = 360°F = 180°C) until barely simmering.2000克水中大火煮至开始冒泡,加入3克食用盐。锅里加入豆腐块。一定要轻点,不然豆腐易烂。
Carefully add the tofu. When the water comes to a rolling boil, blanch the tofu for 90 seconds and remove with a spider strainer to drain.水沸腾后,豆腐捞出,沥干水备用。
Crispy beef broth 牛肉酥,红汤
Soak dried red chilies in a bowl hot water for 5 minutes to soften. Drain well.干辣椒泡温水5分钟,防止炸焦。
Heat the wok on medium-low heat (Duxtop 4.0 = 240°F = 115°C) and add 1 tsp of cooking oil. Toast the softened red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns until crispy and fragrant.锅小火,加适量的菜籽油。辣椒沥干水和花椒入锅翻炒至香脆。
Crush the crispy dried red chilies and peppercorns with a bench scraper or the flat of a Chinese cleaver. Coarsely chop the chilies.
Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil to the pan, and cook the beef and minced ginger until crisp. The oil will transition from cloudy to clear.
Add pixian broad bean paste to the pan, and stir fry until the red chili oil is fully rendered. The sauce will become bright red. Add ⅔ of the reserved crispy chilies + peppercorns and fermented black beans, stirring well to combine.
Turn the heat up to high (Duxtop 8.0 = 390°F = 200°F). Deglaze the pan with Shaoxing cooking wine. Add dark soy sauce, sugar, stock, and pepper powder.
Cook the tofu and thicken sauce
When the liquid comes to a simmer, slide in the blanched tofu cubes. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and boil with the lid on for 7-10 minutes (15 min for soft tofu, 25 min for firm tofu). Stir occasionally, being careful to prevent the tofu from crumbling (keep the edge of spatula against the pan).
Combine 1 Tbsp of corn starch with 3 Tbsp of cold water to form a slurry. Add 1 Tbsp of slurry to the tofu, stir gently to combine, and remove the wok from the heat.
Thicken again: add 1½ tsp of slurry, stir well to combine, and bring the tofu back to a boil. Remove the wok from the heat.
Thicken a 3rd time: add 1 tsp of slurry, stir well to combine, and turn the heat back up.
Finish
Add the garlic scapes and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic scapes are just cooked through.
Plate the dish and top with the remaining crispy chilies and Sichuan peppercorns.
Notes
As written, this recipe features an authentic level of Sichuan spice. To reduce the heat, you can cut the dried red peppers and chili powder, but it will impact the color of the final dish. If you're not a fan of spice at all, I recommend you check out my Home-style Tofu instead.There are three ingredients that are absolutely necessary to cook this dish:
If you don't have red chili powder, you can grind whole dried chilies to make your own.Silken tofu is the most traditional choice for tender mapo tofu. The soft, tender texture of the tofu contrasts with the crispy beef.Vegan: substitute soaked dried shiitake mushrooms for the beef.Gluten free: Most pixian broad bean paste contains wheat. Yuki brand from Japan is supposedly GF -- please carefully determine suitability for yourself. Replace the dark soy sauce with GF tamari, or omit it.