Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

麻婆豆腐

Silky tofu in a fiery, numbing chili-bean sauce with savory pork — this Mapo Tofu comes together in 30 minutes and begs to be spooned over rice.

Ingredients

• silken or soft tofu
• ground pork (or beef)
• doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)
• fermented black beans (douchi), rinsed & minced (optional)
• garlic, minced
• ginger, minced
• scallions, white part + green part separated
• chili flakes (or 2 dried chilies)
• Sichuan peppercorn, ground
• light soy sauce
• chicken stock (or water + 1/2 tsp mushroom powder)
• cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water)
• neutral oil

Instructions

1. Cut tofu into 2 cm cubes. Blanch in gently simmering salted water for 2 minutes, then drain (keeps it from breaking and warms it up).
2. Heat oil in a wok over medium. Add ground pork and fry until it changes color and starts to render.
3. Push pork aside. Add doubanjiang and fry 1 minute until the oil turns red. Add douchi, garlic, ginger, and chili flakes; stir 30 seconds until fragrant. (Oil turns deep red-orange (the classic 红油 moment))
4. Add soy sauce, then pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer.
5. Gently slide in the tofu. Shake the pan (don't stir — it breaks) and simmer 5 minutes so it absorbs the sauce.
6. Add half the cornstarch slurry, stir gently by pushing the sauce, and watch it thicken. Repeat with the rest if you want a thicker coat.
7. Off heat: stir in the white scallion parts. Plate, dust generously with ground Sichuan pepper, and top with green scallions.