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mapo tofu recipe | i am a food blog
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4.80 from 15 votes

Mapo Tofu

You might be scared of it’s fire-y red color, but once you get past that fear of heat, you’ll be coming back for more, more, more.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: main
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: mapo tofu, sichuan
Servings: 4
Calories: 150kcal

Ingredients

  • 14 oz soft tofu 1 block
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1/4 lb ground pork
  • 1.5 tbsp doubanjiang chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tsp ginger grated or finely chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock sodium free/unsalted preferred
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch whisked into 2 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp ground sichuan pepper or to taste
  • green onions thinly sliced, to finish

Instructions

  • Cut the tofu into small cubes and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to a simmer then add the tofu and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let soak in the salted water while you prepare the rest of the dish.
    cubing up tofu | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • In a wok, heat up the oil over medium heat. Add the pork and cook, breaking up, until the fat renders out and the pork is cooked through. Turn down the heat and add the doubanjiang and cook, stirring, until the oils release from the doubanjiang and everything looks bright red.
  • Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and soy sauce and bring the heat up so everything comes up to a simmer.
    making mapo sauce | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Drain the tofu and add it to the wok, pushing it around gently so you don’t break it. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and bring up to a gentle simmer, until the sauce is thick and glossy, about 1 minute.
    mapo tofu | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Turn off the heat and scoop the tofu with sauce into a serving dish. Finish with a sprinkle of ground Sichuan peppercorn and sliced green onions.
    mapo tofu recipe | i am a food blog

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.6g | Protein: 14.5g | Fat: 8.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 716mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1.9g