Jamie Ryan

Authentic-ish Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

08 Dec 2024

Photo of mapo tofu inside a large wok.

I love mapo tofu. It's a hot and sexy expression of what many consider to be mushy cardboard food. Here's my take on it, very much inspired by the classic take by Chris & Steph at Chinese Cooking Demystified

Ingredients

Serves 2 (generously)

Seasonings in order of importance

Method

  1. Slice your tofu into cubes. Do this by dividing it into quarters vertically both ways then cut in half horizontally.
  2. Boil this tofu in lightly salted water until the tofu starts floating a little, typically 3-5 mins. Drain and set aside.
  3. Mince your ginger and garlic.
  4. Gently toast the Sichuan peppercorn over your wok/pan on a medium heat. You'll know they're ready when they leave little oily streaks on the wok. If your pan has bad visibility, toast until they're fragrant then for a minute more. Once done, grind this into a coarse powder.
  5. When your wok cools, add a tablespoon of oil along with your mince and heat from cold on a medium-high heat. Separate your mince out.
  6. When the mince is about cooked, add your doubanjiang, and turn the heat down slightly. Integrate this into the oil until you start seeing a signature chili red color in the oil. You may also add chili powder if you want an extra kick.
  7. Add your ginger, garlic and douchi, and fry everything up a little.
  8. Now add your stock, and begin your seasoning run. Light soy, shaoxing, sugar are essential. I typically add a little sugar and MSG (because MSG is great), and sometimes some 5-spice, white pepper, and ginger. It's about building up layers, here.
  9. Now add your tofu gently into the mix. Try not to be forceful and rip your cubes.
  10. Bring everything to a vigorous boil to start reducing your liquid. Move things around by stirring from the outside in. Push, rather than pull the tofu around.
  11. Here's the tricky part. You ideally want to end up with a sauce that coats your tofu, and isn't too watery. This is trial and error. I typically wait until the tofu is sitting above the liquid, and looking less soupy. You may not get it right the first time but it'll still be delicious.
  12. When the liquid has reduced, turn off the heat and add your cornstarch/water mix. Some say to stir it in 3 rounds, but I've found pouring it all in has a similar effect. Incorporate this throughout the mix to thicken your liquid.
  13. Top with scallions and your toasted Sichuan peppercorn, and enjoy one of China's finest dishes.