Skip to main content

How to make Mapo Tofu in 8 Easy Steps

Mapo Tofu







You can arrange mapo tofu from numerous Chinese cafés, but on the other hand it's very feasible at home. You can track down the crucial aged chile and wide (fava) bean sauce or glue called doubanjiang (some of the time delivered as "toban djan") at a Chinese market.

 Search for a doubanjiang from Pixian, in Sichuan, and remember that oilier adaptations have additional hotness yet may do not have a hearty profundity. Sichuan peppercorns add mala — shivery punch — and matured dark beans, called douchi, loan this dish a kick of umami. 

Ground hamburger is customary, yet many cooks pick pork; you can likewise attempt sheep, turkey thigh or a plant-based meat choices.

 Add chile drops for additional fire, and offset mapo's force with rice and steamed or sautéed broccoli.


INGREDIENTS :



  • 16 ounces medium or medium-firm tofu (if unavailable, go with firm)
  • 1 rounded teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 6 ounces ground beef or pork (preferably 80 or 85 percent lean), roughly chopped to loosen
  • 2 ½ to 3 tablespoons doubanjiang (fermented chile bean sauce or paste)
  • 1 tablespoon douchi (fermented black beans, optional)
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons regular soy sauce
  • 1 rounded teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more if needed
  •  Fine sea salt
  • 2 large scallions, trimmed and cut on a sharp bias into thin, 2-inch-long pieces
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
  •  Cooked white rice, for serving

PREPARATION 


STEP 1

  1. Prepare the tofu: Cut the tofu into 3/4-inch cubes and put into a bowl. Bring a kettle of water to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and when the boiling subsides, pour hot water over the tofu to cover. Set aside for 15 minutes.
  2. STEP 2
  3. Meanwhile, in a large (14-inch) wok or (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, toast the peppercorns for 2 to 3 minutes, until super fragrant and slightly darkened. (A wisp of smoke is normal.) Let cool briefly, then pound with a mortar and pestle, or pulse in a spice grinder.
  4. STEP 3
  5. Set a strainer over a measuring cup, then add the tofu to drain; reserve 1 1/2 cups of the soaking water, discarding the rest. Set the tofu and reserved soaking water near the stove with the peppercorns and other prepped ingredients for swift cooking.
  6. STEP 4
  7. Reheat the wok or skillet over high. When hot — you can flick water in and it should sizzle and evaporate within seconds — swirl in the oil to evenly coat, then add the meat. Stir and mash into cooked and crumbly pieces, 1 to 2 minutes.
  8. STEP 5
  9. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons doubanjiang, the douchi (if using), ginger and red-pepper flakes (if using). Cook about 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until things are vivid reddish brown. Add the soy sauce and sugar, stir to combine, then add the tofu. Gently stir or shake the pan to combine the ingredients without breaking up the tofu much.
  10. STEP 6
  11. Add the reserved 1 1/2 cups soaking water, bring to a vigorous simmer, and cook for about 3 minutes, agitating the pan occasionally, to let the tofu absorb the flavors of the sauce.
  12. STEP 7
  13. Slightly lower the heat and taste the sauce. If needed, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of doubanjiang for heat, a pinch of salt for savoriness, or a sprinkle of sugar to tame heat.
  14. STEP 8
  15. Add the scallions and stir to combine. Stir in the cornstarch slurry, then stir in enough to the mapo tofu to thicken to a soupy rather than a gravy-like finish. Sprinkle in the ground peppercorns, give the mixture one last stir to incorporate, then transfer to a shallow bowl. Serve immediately with lots of hot rice.



Comments

TRENDING

Stormy Daniels seeks Trump testimony on her sex claims

How to prepare Seared Steak

Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity

How to prepare Chicken Shawarma Deluxe

How Generative AI is Transforming Healthcare

Empire Market Vendor from Texas Charged in a Multi-million Dollar Darknet Drug Distribution Conspiracy

Cakes you should taste before the end of the year

D.C. Police: Man in custody after firing shots on Cuban Embassy with assault-style rifle

Popular posts from this blog

Stormy Daniels seeks Trump testimony on her sex claims

New post Stormy Daniels seeks Trump testimony on her sex claims 25 minutes ago Share this with Facebook   Share this with Twitter   Share Media caption Stormy Daniels: 'I was threatened' Adult-film star Stormy Daniels has filed a court motion for US President Donald Trump to testify about her claim that they had a relationship. Her lawyer wants sworn testimony from Mr Trump about a "hush" agreement the actress says she signed. The attorney, Michael Avenatti, is also seeking a legal interview with the president's lawyer. Ms Daniels alleges she had unprotected sex with Mr Trump in 2006 a year after he married Melania Trump. He denies it. Mr Avenatti's motion, filed in a court in the Central District of California early on Wednesday, ramps up the legal duel between the porn star and the president. Should Trump be worried about Stormy Daniels? The president and the porn star: Why this matters Ex-model ...

How to prepare Seared Steak

  Reverse-Seared Steak Time 45 to 55 minutes, plus lighting the grill Reverse-searing is a grilling technique for steak that ensures a dark, sizzling crust and a rosy center that is perfectly cooked to your desired degree of doneness. This brilliant grilling method combines the low and slow cooking of traditional barbecue with the high heat charring practiced at steakhouses. Though it works well with any thick steak, from picanha to porterhouse, this recipe calls for a cut of steak popularized in Santa Maria, Calif., and is today known and loved across the U.S. as tri-tip. As the name suggests, it’s a triangular or boomerang-shaped steak cut from the tip of the sirloin, blessed with a robust beefy flavor. INGREDIENTS Yield : 4 servings * 1large or 2 small wood chunks (such as oak, hickory or mesquite) or 1½ cups wood chips * Canola oil, for greasing the grill grate * 1tri-tip steak (about 2 to 2¼ pounds; see Tip) * Coarse kosher or sea salt * Freshly ground black pep...

Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity

Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity Beset by political and personal rifts, and with her popularity in the post-election doldrums, Le Pen is facing opposition to her plan to rename the party in an attempt to improve its electoral chances. presidential election. Hours before the conference opened it was revealed Donald Trump’s former adviser  Steve Bannon  would be speaking on the first day of the event. The move is seen by the traditional wing of the FN, founded by Le Pen’s father in the 1970s, as a betrayal of the party’s heritage. The new name will be voted on after it is unveiled on Sunday. The surprise guest speaker Bannon was announced on Twitter by the FN deputy president Louis Aliot. He wrote: “Welcome to Steve Bannon who will address the FN tomorrow at our congress and will meet ML [Le Pen]. The people are waking up and taking their destiny in hand.” Shortly afterwards Aliot tweeted a photograph of him sha...

How to prepare Chicken Shawarma Deluxe

  Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma Here is a formula for a oven-baked roasted rendition of the classic road side flavor bomb normally cooked on a rotisserie. It is ideal for an evening with loved ones. Present with pita and tahini, cleaved cucumbers and tomatoes, a few olives, hacked parsley, some feta, seared eggplant, hummus twirled with harissa, rice or rice pilaf. You can make the white sauce that customarily joins it by cutting plain yogurt with mayonnaise and lemon squeeze, and flecking it with garlic. For a red to counterbalance it, stew ketchup with red pepper pieces and a hit of red-wine vinegar until it goes sweet and thick, or simply utilize your number one hot sauce all things being equal. INGREDIENTS   2 lemons, juiced ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons paprika ½ teaspoon turmeric  A pinch ground cinnamon  Red pepper...