Mapo tofu is named for the pockmarked old woman who sold it in Chengdu. The point is málà — numbing and hot — from Sichuan pepper and chili bean paste, not a pile of dried chilies. Vegetarian versions swap minced mushroom for pork and lose nothing essential. It is one of the great 20-minute dinners if the doubanjiang is already in the cupboard.
Ingredients
- soft tofu500 g
- ground pork or mushrooms150 g
- doubanjiang (chili bean paste)2 tbsp
- Sichuan peppercorns1 tsp, toasted and ground
- garlic3 cloves
- ginger1 tbsp
- soy sauce1 tbsp
- stock or water3/4 cup
- scallions2
- oil3 tbsp
- cornstarch1 tsp
Method
- 1
Cut tofu into cubes. Optional: soak 5 minutes in hot salted water so it holds together.
- 2
Fry pork in oil until the fat renders. Add doubanjiang and fry until the oil turns red.
- 3
Add garlic and ginger, then stock and soy. Slide in the tofu and simmer gently — do not stir so much as nudge.
- 4
Thicken with a little cornstarch slurry. Finish with Sichuan pepper and scallion.
- 5
Serve over rice. It should tingle, not just burn.