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Recipe
Mapo tofu, the proper red kind
Silken tofu in a lava-red sauce, buried under crispy beef and a snowfall of Sichuan pepper.
- sichuan
- tofu
- weeknight
The version that started it all. Doubanjiang does most of the work; your job is mostly to not break the tofu while it simmers.
What you need
- 1 block (≈500 g) soft or medium tofu, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 150 g minced beef (or pork)
- 2 tbsp doubanjiang (Pixian chili bean paste), roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp douchi (fermented black beans), optional
- 1 tbsp chili flakes or chili oil, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic + a thumb of ginger, minced
- 250 ml stock or water
- 1 tsp sugar, splash of light soy
- Cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp starch + 2 tbsp water)
- A handful of scallion or garlic-shoot segments
- Ground roasted Sichuan peppercorn, a shameless amount, to finish
How
- Slide the tofu cubes into gently salted simmering water for 2–3 minutes, then drain. This seasons them and helps them hold together.
- Fry the minced beef in a little oil until properly crispy. Take half out and set it aside — that's the topping.
- In the same pan, fry the doubanjiang, douchi, garlic and ginger over medium heat until the oil turns red and it smells like trouble.
- Add the stock, sugar and soy, then the tofu. Simmer 4–5 minutes, pushing the tofu around with the back of the ladle, never stirring hard.
- Thicken with the slurry in two additions. Fold in the scallions.
- Plate, pile the reserved crispy beef in the middle, and dust generously with ground Sichuan pepper.
Thicken twice, not once — the first round binds the sauce to the tofu, the second sets the gloss. One big pour just makes glue.