TeamMapo Tofu is a famous Chinese dish and it hails from the Sichuan Province. The exact origin of the dish is not known but it has managed to make it out of the province and has spread all across the globe.
It is a spicy dish that uses the signature spice of the region known as Sichuan peppercorn. The spice is not just added to elevate flavor and fragrance of the dish but also to numb the tongue so that its capacity to take heat increases.
If you love Mofu Tofu and want to make an authentic and traditional version at home then here is a great recipe you can follow and enjoy the restaurant taste at home.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients:
• ½ cup oil
• Thai bird chili peppers (1-2 fresh and thinly sliced)
• Dried red chilies (6-8 roughly chopped)
• Sichuan Peppercorns (1-1 ½ tablespoons) (It is a strong spice so adjust the quantity according to your taste)
• Finely minced ginger (3 tablespoons)
• Finely minced garlic (3 tablespoons)
• Ground pork (225 g)
• Spicy bean sauce (1-2 tablespoons)
• Low sodium chicken broth (2/3 cup) or you can use water
• Silken tofu cut into one inch cubes (1 pound/450g)
• Cornstarch (1 ½ teaspoon)
• Sesame oil (1/4 teaspoon, optional)
• Sugar (1/4 teaspoon, optional)
• Finely chopped scallion (1)
How to Make Mofu Tofu?
Here are step-by-step instructions for making delicious Mofu Tofu:
1. Toast the chilies. You can skip this step if you have homemade toasted chili oil available eat home. To toast the chilies you need to heat a small saucepan or a wok over a low flame. Take ¼ cup of oil and pour it in the wok or saucepan. Put dried and fresh peppers in the oil. Keep stirring occasionally until the peppers become fragrant. Make sure that the peppers do not burn. When they are done, remove from the heat and set them aside.
2. Take wok, put it on medium heat and pour ¼ cup of oil in it. Add ground Sichuan peppercorns and cook for 30 seconds while stirring occasionally. Add ginger, let it cook for a minute and add freshly minced garlic. Fry these ingredients for a minute and then switch the heat to high. Add ground pork to the wok. Break up the meat and fry until it is thoroughly cooked.
3. Add spicy beans sauce to the mixture and mix well. Add 2/3 cups of water to chicken broth to the mixture and let it simmer for about a minute.
4. While the broth mixture is cooking you can prepare the tofu. Cut in equal pieces. Boil a pot of water and add a pinch of salt. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to a simmer, add tofu and let it cook for two minutes. Remove the pot from heat and let the tofu soak in the water.
5. Put a ¼ cup of water in a bowl, add cornstarch. Mix thoroughly so it is properly combined. Add cornstarch to the chicken broth mixture and stir. Keep cooking it until it thickens. If the sauce gets too thick you can get the right consistency, just splash in a little bit of chicken broth or water.
6. Once the sauce reaches the right consistency, add the chili oil you made in the beginning. In case of homemade chili oil, just use the standing oil because you may have added salt and you may not want the additional salt. Stir oil in sauce and then add tofu. Let the mixture cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Once cooked add sugar (optional) and sesame oil along with scallions. Keep stirring until the scallions get wilted.
8. Add a sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorn powder on top as garnish and serve it
Feel free to adjust the recipe according to your palate so you can enjoy it as not everyone can manage the heat of Sichuan peppercorns.
