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Ma Po Tofu

Recipe by Connie Veneracion
All the spices and seasonings required for cooking ma po tofu can be bought in Asian groceries. Note, however, that the saltiness of the condiments (the doubanjiang and black beans, especially) vary from brand to brand. So, you may need to use less salt, or add more salt, to get a good flavor balance.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese, Sichuan
Servings 4 people
Ma po tofu garnished with scallions

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

Pre-cook the tofu

  • Cut the tofu into half-inch cubes.
  • Boil about four cups of water and stir in a teaspoon of salt.
    Cutting and boiling silken tofu in salted water
  • Slide the tofu cubes into the boiling salted water, wait for the water to boil again then count one minute to cook the tofu.
  • Drain the tofu and set aside.

Toast the Sichuan peppercorns

  • Spread the Sichuan peppercorns in an oil-free pan and toast until you can smell them.
    Toasting and grinding Sichuan peppercorns
  • Grind the Sichuan peppercorns until powdery.

Brown the ground pork

  • Heat the cooking oil in a wok.
  • Spread the ground pork in the hot oil, sprinkle in a teaspoon of salt and all of ground black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned.
    Browning ground pork in wok
  • Scoop out the ground pork leaving behind the oil and rendered fat.

Saute the spices

  • Reheat the oil and fat in the wok.
  • Saute the garlic and ginger until aromatic.
  • Add the doubanjiang and continue sauteeing for about half a minute.
    Adding broad bean chili paste to garlic and ginger in wok
  • Add the fermented black beans and continue sauteeing until the solids start to separate from the oil.
    Sauteeing broad bean chili pasta and fermented balck beans

Cook your ma po tofu

  • Add the browned ground pork and stir to coat with the sauteed spices.
  • Pour in the broth, stir and bring to a simmer.
    Pouring chicken broth into wok with ground pork and spices
  • Stir in the chili paste and sugar.
    Adding tofu to ground pork in wok to make ma po tofu
  • Add the drained tofu cubes and stir gently.
  • Sprinkle in half a teaspoon of the ground Sichuan peppercorns.
    Sprinkling grouns Sichuan peppercorns on ma po tofu in wok
  • Pour in the soy sauce.
  • Set the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer everything together for a few minutes.
  • Dissolve the starch a two tablespoons of water, pour into the pan and stir until no longer cloudy and the sauce is thick.
    Thickening ma po tofu sauce with potato starch
  • Ladle your ma po tofu into a serving bowl.
    Ma po tofu garnished with scallions
  • Sprinkle in the sliced scallions and serve your ma po tofu with rice.
Keyword Spicy, Tofu