Mapo tofu is one of my classic Chinese dishes. I love eating it and I love making it. Usually this dish is made with pork mince, but I’ve been adapting a few of these dishes for my friend Diego who is vegan / vegetarian. This is one of those dishes, and I have to say I think I got it pretty close to down.
Give it a try! 😀
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
4 green onions whites, minced
1 tbsp fermented black bean paste
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground
200 g of mushrooms
2 teaspoons doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
14 ounce block of silken tofu, drained and cut into 3/4” cubes
green part of green onions minced for garnish
1. Add the stock, cornstarch, soy sauce and sugar to a small bowl and stir to combine.
2. Heat a wok or large frying pan until hot. Add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger and green onions and stir-fry with a spatula until fragrant. Add the black bean paste and Sichuan pepper and continue stir-frying.
3. Add Mushrooms and stirfry. Add the doubanjiang and stir to distribute. Add the tofu, and toss to mix (if you stir it, the tofu will lose its shape).
4. Give the stock mixture a good stir to incorporate anything that may have settled, and then pour over tofu. Toss to coat, then boil until the sauce thickens.
5. Garnish with the green parts of the green onions, then serve with hot rice.