Mapo Tofu Recipe (麻婆豆腐)

Is Mapo Tofu/麻婆豆腐 so hard to make at home? Does the long list of ingredients appear intimidating to a novice home cook? I asked myself. The answer is–unfortunately–yes. Making a plate of Mapo Tofu that oozes the signature mala/麻辣 (numbing spiciness) flavor without losing its originality is not easy…

 

I learned my Mapo Tofu recipe from a Sichuan friend, the birthplace of this famed Chinese dish. My friend’s mother attended the Sichuan Culinary Institute at Chengdu, so this Mapo Tofu recipe is as authentic as it can be. The Mapo Tofu recipe is not for the faint-hearted, it’s lip-smackingly spicy and downright incendiary !

 

Ingredients:

1 block silken tofu (19 oz box)
1/4 lb ground pork
3 tablespoons Sichuan spicy bean paste (辣豆瓣酱)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 tablespoons chili oil
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (roasted and ground to powder)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fermented black beans (rinsed and pounded)
2 stalks of leeks or scallions (chopped into 1 or 2-inch length)
2 gloves garlic (chopped)
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the tofu into small pieces, drain the water from the tofu and set aside. Heat up a wok and pour in the cooking oil and chili oil. Add the chopped garlic, ground pork, spicy bean paste and stir-fry until the pork is half-done. Then add in chili powder, soy sauce, fermented black beans and stir-fry until aromatic. Add in the tofu and water; stir gently to blend the tofu (don’t break them) well with the sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3-5 mins or until the sauce thickens. Add in the roasted Sichuan peppercorn powder and chopped scallions. Gently stir and blend well. Dish out and serve hot.

Cook’s notes:

1. To tone down the numbing spiciness of this dish, use less roasted sichuan peppercorn powder, chili powder, and chili oil. Adjust them to fit your palate.
2. Mo Po Tofu (麻婆豆腐) literally means “Pock-Marked Old Lady Tofu” (I know!).
3. The Ma Po Tofu served at Chinese restaurants in the US has been adapted to appeal to local taste–the level of numbing spiciness is largely toned down.

Tofu is an easy to digest, somewhat bland food with a texture similar to cheese. It is made from soybean curd and is often substituted for meats, cheeses and certain dairy products because of its healthful properties. Tofu is also a popular food choice among people who don’t eat animal products. It is used in many different diets, including vegan and vegetarian eating plans. Tofu is also a staple in many low fat, low cholesterol diets, and is regarded as a healthy part of high protein low-carb lifestyles.

Tofu offers many valuable nutritional benefits including high concentrations of B-vitamins, easily digestible proteins, isoflavones, and unlike most soymilk products, calcium. B-vitamins and isoflavones are said to be helpful in diminishing menstrual and menopausal symptoms, including discomfort and irritability. They may also protect against certain types of cancer. Calcium helps prevent osteoporosis and other bone diseases and helps make teeth strong.

There are three different kinds of tofu: silken, soft and firm. Silken tofu is perfect for blending with other foods because of its creamy consistency. It is frequently used to replace higher fat options such as cream cheese and it works great for a healthier version of cheesecake. Soft tofu has a texture more like al dente pasta. It is an excellent choice for dishes such as lasagna where pasta is replaced to create a lower carbohydrate option. Firm tofu is thicker and not as soft as the other varieties and can be diced up as an alternative to meats in dishes like salads, soups and casseroles.

Many healthy, delicious recipes use tofu as an alternative, because tofu takes on the flavors of other foods with which it is combined. It is quite bland and has very little distinctive flavor of its own. This fact makes tofu the preferred choice in food substitutes as compared to other low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-sodium, and even low-carb options. These other options generally have distinctive tastes or aftertastes that change the flavor of the dishes in which they are used.

If you’d like to give tofu a try, you can find it in most popular supermarkets. It must be refrigerated and is usually located near other meat substitute products, or in or near the produce section. Once you bring tofu home, be sure to refrigerate it or freeze it immediately. It is generally safe to keep it for about one week in the refrigerator and at least one month in the freezer.

Bean curd is another name for tofu, a product made from soybeans, and sometimes other legumes as well. To make bean curd, a cook curdles soy milk and presses the resulting soybean curds into molds to firm up. The result is a block of white, neutrally flavored material which can be used in a wide assortment of dishes.

There are numerous different styles of bean curd, as well as an assortment of ways in which the substance can be used. Bean curd has been made in China for thousands of years, and has spread throughout the world as a reasonably cheap, easy to make source of protein which is also very easy to manipulate in the kitchen.

There are two basic types of bean curd. The first is silken, also called` Japanese style tofu. This type of bean curd tends to fall apart as it is is worked with, making it a great choice for dishes in which fragments of bean curd are desired. It is also used in vegan baked goods. Chinese style tofu is firm, and will hold its shape as it is worked with and cooked. In some places, Chinese style tofu is called bean curd, while Japanese style is called tofu. This can be confusing, but a close inspection of the package can usually sort the issue out.

 

Once bean curd has been formed, it can be sent out to market as is, or it can undergo further treatment. It may be seasoned and pressed into blocks to form very dense, flavorful tofu. It can also be smoked, frozen, or fermented. Fermented bean curd is often mixed with spices and vegetables and used as a condiment. It can be added to dishes while they are cooking for flavor, or served on the side.

Plain bean curd is available in many markets. It can be fried, steamed, sauteed, baked, or grilled. Vegetarians often use it as a meat substitute, since bean curd is rich in protein. It also absorbs flavor very readily, and is a compliment to many dishes. Make sure to use fresh bean curd quickly, as it can go bad.

In Chinese markets, it is possible to find bean curd skin or yuba, a byproduct of the bean curd manufacturing process. As the soy milk is fermented, a thin skin forms on top. This skin can be dried in sheets or sticks and used for an assortment of things. Shredded bean curd skin is used in many Chinese dishes for texture and flavor. Whole bean curd skin can be used to wrap foods for steaming and frying as well.