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Chinese

Mapo Tofu

Makes 2-3 servings using silken tofu, beef mince and doubanjiang.

Mapo tofu is a classic Sichuan-Chongqing dish of silken tofu in a fiery, numbing sauce with minced beef, doubanjiang, and Sichuan peppercorns.

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Ingredients

  • 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
  • 2 tbsp oil (preferably chilli oil)
  • 1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp doubanjiang (spicy bean sauce)
  • 150 g beef mince
  • 1 tbsp fermented black beans (optional, finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes, adjust to taste
  • 250 ml (1 cup) chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 400 g silken or soft tofu, cut into cubes
  • 2 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
  • Sliced spring onions, steamed rice, to serve

Method

  1. Place the Sichuan peppercorns into a dry frying pan over low heat and toast until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush lightly, then set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and doubanjiang, stir-frying until the oil turns red and aromatic. Add the beef mince and stir-fry until browned. Stir through the black beans, chilli flakes and half the Sichuan peppercorns.
  3. Pour in the stock, soy sauce and sugar, then bring to a simmer. Gently slide in the tofu and simmer for a further 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornflour and water to form a slurry, then gently pour into the pan, simmering until the sauce turns glossy and thickens. Remove from the heat.
  4. Sprinkle the mapo tofu with the remaining Sichuan peppercorns and spring onion. Serve with rice.

Questions

Is this mapo tofu halal?

This version is pork-free: it uses beef mince, a traditional choice for mapo tofu. It is not halal-certified: use halal-certified beef, and check that the doubanjiang, fermented black beans, soy sauce and stock carry halal certification, as some bean pastes and sauces contain alcohol (for example Shaoxing wine).

How can I make it less spicy?

Use less chilli flakes (the recipe says adjust to taste), less doubanjiang, and plain oil instead of chilli oil. Sichuan peppercorns add numbness rather than heat.

Which tofu should I use?

Silken or soft tofu, cut into cubes and slid gently into the simmering sauce so it keeps its shape.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Use vegetable stock (the recipe allows it) and leave out the meat, or replace it with finely chopped mushrooms; check the doubanjiang label.

Quantities are metric first, with US amounts in brackets. Online recipes are not independently verified.