I love anything spicy! I remember back in university when I used to sprinkle all my food options with chili whenever possible. Regardless if the food is soup or as a dip to grilled meat – I’d add chili whenever I can!
Because of my love for anything spicy, I cook with chilies a lot of times whenever possible. Especially now that the weather is cold, a hint of spice amplifies the heat even just for a while.
One of my favorite spicy dishes is called Mapo Tofu. I remembered trying it out at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the Philippines called Super Bowl of China. This dish is a favorite of an ex. And despite not having a happy ending – I have grown a fondness over this dish I have researched how to make it at home!
Chinese dishes are super tasty and really easy to make – mapo tofu included. I am not claiming this is the authentic version of the dish, though. But from the version I tasted from the restaurant I’ve first tried it and this one after adapting it to my taste buds aren’t far!
Recipe:
1 kg pork mince
250g cubed tofu
2-5 Bird’s eye chilies, chopped (I used a combination of dried and fresh for this)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chili oil
2 stalks spring onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
salt to taste
Steps:
Place a pan over medium hight heat. When the pan is piping hot, reduce the heat to medium and pour the oils in (sesame and chili).
Saute the garlic until golden brown. At this point, you may want to increase the heat to high to speed up the cooking. Just be mindful not to burn the garlic!
Once the garlic is golden brown, add the onions. Toss around to cook until translucent.
Add the chopped chilies and toss around for about a minute.
Add the minced meat. Cook it until everything is cooked through. Make sure to make “chopping motions” while moving the meat around the pan so the meat will not solidify like uneven meatballs.
Add the Sichuan peppercorns and soy sauce. Mix well to incorporate into the meat.
When the minced meat is fully cooked through, you may have to reduce the heat to medium. Cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes so the natural juices from the meat come out.
Add the tofu and cover the pan again to simmer for about 5 minutes more.
Have a taste of the meat and add more seasoning as necessary. If you feel there is not much “heat”, you can add more chilies if you like, too.
Sprinkle with chopped spring onions and cover the saucepan.
Remove from heat nad serve with steamed white rice!
Note: You may adjust the spice levels according to your liking! Personally, I think the dried bird’s eye chilies are spicier than the fresh ones, so you need less if using it – but that’s just my personal view about it.
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Yes, I have eaten this at some restaurants in my country with my friends and family. Mapo Tofu can be found in almost any Chinese restaurant around the world with hundreds of variations adapting the piquant original to suit local tastes.
But my friend; mom makes this curry as I tell you very delicious really.
Ingredients
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons potato starch (halve if using cornstarch)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced ginger
4 green onions white part only, minced
1 tablespoon fermented black beans, roughly chopped (black bean paste will also work)
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, black seeds removed then ground (optional)
6 ounces ground pork
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
Directions
Add the chicken stock, cornstarch, soy sauce and sugar to a small bowl and stir to combine.
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 beans and Sichuan pepper and continue stir-frying.
Add the ground pork and use the spatula to break it up into small grains (you don’t want clumps of meat). When the pork is cooked, add the doubanjiang and stir to distribute.
Add the tofu, and toss to mix (if you stir it, the tofu will lose its shape).
Give the stock mixture a good stir to incorporate anything that may have settled, and then pour it over the pork and tofu. Toss to coat, then boil until the sauce thickens.
Garnished with the green parts of the green onions, then serve with hot rice.