Mapo Tofu
By Tiffy Cooks
When I think of comfort foods, I think of recipes that I grew up eating made by my mom and grandma; Mapo Tofu is one of the first recipes I learned to make on my own.
I am sharing my family’s Mapo Tofu recipe that will have you downing bowls and bowls of rice. Mapo Tofu is spicy tofu and pork stew that is savory, spicy, and the ultimate rice killer. Every family has its variation of Mapo Tofu, but this is my favorite since it is what I grew up eating, and it’s also fast and easy to make at home! Don’t worry if you can’t eat spicy food; just adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Ingredients
- 1 pack Firm/Traditional Tofu
- 1 cup Ground Lean Pork or chicken and shiitake mushroom
- ¼ cup Shiitake Mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic chopped
- 1 Green Onion seperated whites and greens
- 1.5 tbsp Fermented Chilli Bean Paste
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1-2 cup Chicken Stock or Water
- 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn
- 1-3 tbsp Corn Starch
Instructions
- Optional Step: Cut the tofu into cubes and pour hot water all over it; this will help take out the tofu smell and decrease cooking time, preventing the tofu from losing its shape.
- In a hot pan, drizzle in some oil and add in the pork. Break the pork apart and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Once the pork is broken apart, add the white part of the green onion, shiitake mushroom, and chopped garlic. Sauté together for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add in Doubanjiang, sugar, soy sauce, and Sichuan pepper power and Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Gently add in the tofu and pour in chicken stock or water. Let it sizzle for 2-3 minutes, occasionally stirring to soak up all the sauce.
- Finally, add a mixture of corn starch and cold water to thicken the consistency before serving. If you like it thicker, add in more corn starch. I add in around 2.5 tbsp of corn starch with 4 tbsp of Cold water.
- Let it simmer for another 1-2 minutes, so it thickens. Garnish with green parts of the green onion and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 22gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 645mgPotassium: 314mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 42IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 146mgIron: 2mg
