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Mapo Tofu (Easy Recipe)

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Mapo Tofu (Easy Recipe)
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I’m actually not the biggest fan of tofu, yet I absolutely love Mapo Tofu. Soft cubed tofu cooked in a flavorful spicy meaty sauce? It’s basically a Chinese comfort food! Especially when you eat it with rice! So, I thought I’d share an easy recipe for Mapo Tofu this week.

What is mapo tofu?

Mapo tofu (aka 麻婆豆腐) is a popular Chinese dish that originated from the Sichuan province. It consists of tofu in a spicy sauce usually based on doubanjiang (chili bean paste) with with ground meat.

“Ma zi” actually means pockmarks. And “po” 婆 actually means elder lady. So Ma-po actually means an elder lady whose face is pockmarked! It is said that the original mapo tofu was invented by an elder lady whose face was pockmarked over a hundred years ago in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

About the Ingredients

Here are some tips for the ingredients:

Tofu

In short, tofu which is also known as bean curd, made from soy bean curds. It is pressed in to solid white blocks. (I like to think of it in the following analogy: Cheese is to Dairy Milk as Tofu is to Soy Milk!)

This is because cheese is made when milk separates into curds and whey, and tofu is made when soy milk separates into curds and whey.

Soft or medium tofu is usually used in mapo tofu, but you can use your preferred tofu firmness when cooking this dish. I’ve made it with medium firm tofu before, and it also turns out delicious as it’s really all about the tasty spicy meat sauce! I encourage you to try the different types!

Sichuan Peppercorn

Sichuan pepper, also known as Szechuan pepper, Szechwan pepper, or mala pepper, is a spice commonly used in the Sichuan cuisine. It is interesting because it will add a ‘numbing’ factor in to the food. It may come as a surprise if you’ve never had it before.

In this dish, we are actually using the grounded version of this, which you can buy already grounded, or you can ground it yourself (I’m lazy and just use the pre-grounded ones).

You can find them in your local Chinese supermarket or even online such as Amazon.

Chili bean paste

Chilli Bean Paste aka Doubanjiang 豆瓣酱, is a chunky sauce that is spicy and savory. It’s traditionally made from fermented broad beans, chili peppers, soybeans, salt and flour.

There are also different ones you can find, for example some will add spicy chili oil in it already which is the one I recommend.

Chili Bean Paste is often used in Sichuan food (ex: mapo tofu), which might explain why I love it because I love Sichuan food (and my grandma was from there!). I use it in my Szechuan Chicken, Twice Cooked Pork and Jalapeno Chicken.

You can should be able to find it at your local Asian supermarket or even online.

Mapo Tofu Recipe

Ingredients

  • 14 oz pack of soft tofu or medium, drained
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 6 oz. ground pork or beef
  • 2 tbsp spicy chili bean paste (aka doubanjiang)
  • 2 tsp sichuan peppercorn, grounded
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • ¼ cups cornstarch, mixed with 6 tbsp water
  • Salt, as desired
  • Green onions, thinly sliced, as desired

Instructions

Remove tofu from package carefully and place on a plate. Using a knife, cut it horizontally, vertically and on the sides so they are 1 inch cubes.

In a skillet or wok, heat up oil on medium heat. Add ground pork or beef, break it up and stir fry.

Turn down the heat and add the spicy chili bean sauce, sichuan peppercorn, soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic and stir fry.

Add tofu to skillet/wok and gently mix it with the sauce so that it doesn’t break apart.

Add the cornstarch slurry and mix well (gently). Now let the tofu simmer in the sauce for 2-3 minutes.

Sprinkle with sliced green onions, mix well and then remove from heat and serve!

Recipe for Mapo Tofu

Recipe for Mapo Tofu

Ingredients

  • 14 oz pack of soft tofu, drained
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 6 oz. ground pork or beef
  • 2 tbsp spicy chili bean paste (aka doubanjiang)
  • 2 tsp sichuan peppercorn, grounded
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • ¼ cups cornstarch, mixed with 6 tbsp water
  • Salt, as desired
  • Green onions, thinly sliced, as desired

Instructions

    1. Remove tofu from package carefully and place on a plate. Using a knife, cut it horizontally, vertically and on the sides so they are 1 inch cubes.
    2. In a skillet or wok, heat up oil on medium heat. Add ground pork or beef, break it up and stir fry.
    3. Turn down the heat and add the spicy chili bean sauce, sichuan peppercorn, soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic and stir fry.
    4. Add tofu to skillet/wok and gently mix it with the sauce so that it doesn’t break apart.
    5. Add the cornstarch slurry and mix well (gently). Now let the tofu simmer in the sauce for 2-3 minutes.
    6. Sprinkle with sliced green onions, mix well and then remove from heat and serve!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 351mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 18g

The nutrition information for this recipe is an approximate total per serving. Please double check the nutrition information for your exact ingredients and brands for more precise nutrition information.

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If you liked this spicy dish, you might also enjoy my Jalapeno Chicken Stir Fry which also uses the chili bean paste and the jalapenos add an extra texture and kick! Recipe here.

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