Mapo Tofu
Another one adapted from Sichuan Cookery. Admittedly, the generous use of the sauces make this dish exciting. But it will not be mapo tofu without the black bean sauce and sichuan chili paste so, forget the MSG and enjoy!
Ingredients:
500 g tofu (I use the firm chinese tofu rather than the soft Japanese kind that’s popular nowadays for this dish)
4 baby leeks or spring onions
100 ml groundnut oil
150 g minced beef
21/2 tablespoons Sichuanese chili bean paste
1 tablespoon black fermented beans
2 teaspoons ground Sichuanese chilies
250 ml stock
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
salt to taste
3 tablespoons potato flour (or corn flour) mixed with 4 tablespoons cold water
1/2 teaspoon ground roasted Sichuan pepper
Optional:
100 g button mushroom, thickly sliced
Directions:
1. Cut the beancurd into 2 cm cubes and leave to steep in very hot or gently simmering water which you have lightly salted. Slice the leeks or spring onions at steep angle.
2. Season the wok then add the groundnut oil and heat over a high flame until smoking. Add the minced beef and stir-fry until it is crispy and a little brown, but not yet dry.
3. Turn the heat down to medium, add the chili bean paste and stir fry for about 30 seconds, until the oil is a rich red colour. Add the black fermented beans and ground chilies and stir-fry for another 20-30 seconds until they are both fragrant and the chilies have added their colour to the oil.
4. Pour in the stock, stir well and add the drained beancurd, and if using, the mushroom. Mix it gently by pushing the back of your ladle gently from the edges to the centre of the wok - do not stir or the beancurd may break up. Season with the sugar, a couple of teaspoons of soy sauce and salt to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the beancurd has absorbed the flavours of the sauce.
5. Add the leeks or spring onions and gently stir in When they are just cooked, add the potato flour mixture in two or three stages, mixing well, until the sauce has thickened enough to cling glossily to the meat and beancurd. Don’t add more than you need. Finally pour everything into a deep bowl, scatter with the ground Sichuan pepper and serve.
Wow, the cooking way of this great chinese mo po tofu dish is great and easy to cook, I’ll try it later and I hope it tastes delicious. Just one suggestion: If you add some cooking pictures it will be easier to follow! One question:How to add you blog into my rrs reader? thanks so much.
V: Yeah, mo po tofu is my comfort food: easy to make and infinitely delicious.
I’ve been tempted to do how-to sequences but the lighting in my kitchen is so poor the pictures never come out good. Thanks for stopping by.
Comment by Authentic Chinese Recipes — 26 November 2009 @ 8:24 am