National Dishes of the World

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Mapo tofu
Photo: Archon6812, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

main dish

Mapo tofu

麻婆豆腐 (mápó dòufu)

Silky tofu in a fiery sauce of doubanjiang bean paste, minced meat and tongue-tingling Sichuan pepper.

Eaten in: China

Prep
15 min
Cooking
15 min
Total
30 min
Servings
3

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About the dish

Mapo tofu is a Sichuan classic from Chengdu and the best showcase of mala – the combination of chilli heat (la) and the tingling, slightly numbing effect of Sichuan pepper (ma). Cubes of soft tofu are simmered in a red, oily sauce of doubanjiang – fermented broad bean and chilli paste – with fermented black beans and a little minced beef or pork, then thickened with starch and sprinkled with ground Sichuan pepper. The name is usually translated as ‘pockmarked old woman’s tofu’, after a woman who, according to tradition, served it at her eatery in Chengdu in the 19th century. It is eaten with plenty of white rice.

Main ingredients

  • tofu
  • doubanjiang paste
  • minced beef
  • Sichuan pepper
  • fermented black beans
  • garlic
  • spring onion

More: Wikipedia (en)

Recipe

Mapo tofu

https://foodmap.ominuvo.com/dish/mapo-tofu

Ingredients

3 servings

3 servings

Method

  1. Drop the tofu into lightly salted boiling water for 2 minutes to firm it up, then drain carefully.

  2. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the meat until crisp and brown.

  3. Lower the heat, add the doubanjiang and fry for a minute until the oil turns red, then add the black beans, chilli, garlic and ginger.

  4. Pour in the stock, add the soy sauce and sugar, slide in the tofu and simmer for 5 minutes, nudging it gently with the back of a spoon so it does not break.

  5. Add the starch mixture in two or three goes, shaking the wok, until the sauce thickens and clings to the tofu.

  6. Tip into a bowl, sprinkle with Sichuan pepper and spring onions and serve with rice.

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