Serves: 6
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: ~30 min
Another Chinese classic, and variable by region or family, is mapo tofu. We wanted to present a more common version today. This dish is known for the spiciness from the Sichaun peppercorns, the pork, and the spicy chili sauce, that all together make this tofu dish mouth-wateringly good. You can even make this dish without the pork if you are vegetarian.
Ingredients
¼ cup oil
1 ½ tbs Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground
¾ tbs ginger, chopping
6-7 cloves of garlic, chopped
8 oz ground pork (or as much as you desire)
2 heaping tbs spicy chili sauce
⅔ cup chicken broth, or water
1 lb soft tofu, cut into cubes
1 ½ tsp cornstarch
½ bunch of green onions, finely chopped
Instructions
Heat your wok or a small saucepan over low heat. Throw in the fresh and dried peppers. Stir occasionally and heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes, ensuring that the peppers don’t burn. Remove from heat and set aside. You'll want to use a pestle and mortar to finely grind down the peppercorns.
Heat the ¼ cup of oil in your wok over medium heat. Add your ground Sichuan peppercorns, ginger and garlic. Fry for another minute, and then turn up the heat to high and add the ground pork. Break up the meat and fry it until it’s cooked through.
Add the spicy chili sauce to the mixture and stir it in well. You can add more later on if you so desire. Add ⅔ cups of chicken broth to the wok and stir. Let this simmer for a minute or two. While it is simmering, take 4 tbs of water, and the cornstarch and mix it well in a small prep bowl. Continuosly stir while you pour the mixture in slowly.
Keep stirring until you see the liquid thicken up by getting a feel for the consistency, or see how it coats the back of your spoon or spatula.
Add the tofu and let it cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring carefully as to not break up the tofu.
Turn off the heat, and set aside.
Serve in a bowl with white rice on the side, and garnish with green onions.
Enjoy!