Home

Mapo tofu

17/11/2023

Mapo Tofu is a traditional dish from Sichuan cuisine, famous for its strong and slightly spicy flavor. Here I propose a variant with an Italian touch, using ingredients easily found in our kitchens.

Ingredients

  • 300g of soft tofu
  • 150g of ground pork (or vegetarian substitute)
  • 2 tablespoons of fermented black bean paste (toban djan)
  • 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of cooking wine (you could use a dry Marsala)
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 small piece of fresh ginger root
  • 1 green onion
  • 1 fresh red chili pepper (optional, to add spice)
  • 500ml of vegetable or chicken broth
  • Sesame oil (if available)
  • Fresh green onion for garnish

Preparation

  1. Dry the tofu and cut it into cubes about 2cm on each side. Set aside.
  2. Prepare a mixture with cornstarch and a bit of water to thicken the sauce later on.
  3. Finely chop the green onion (keeping the white part separate from the green), garlic, and ginger. Cut the chili pepper, if you’re using it.
  4. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the white part of the onion, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper for a couple of minutes.
  5. Add the ground meat and sauté until it’s no longer pink.
  6. Add the bean paste, soy sauce, and wine, mixing well.
  7. Add the tofu and broth. Let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes, until the tofu has absorbed the flavors.
  8. Pour in the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce and add the sugar. Stir carefully to avoid breaking the tofu cubes.
  9. Once the sauce has thickened, adjust the salt if necessary and turn off the heat.
  10. Drizzle some sesame oil over the finished dish and garnish with the chopped green part of the onion.

Serve the Mapo Tofu hot, possibly accompanied by a good steamed white rice to balance the intense flavors of the dish.

Curiosity

“Mapo” in the original Chinese refers to the pockmarked face of the creator of this dish, thus “burn scar face” (mazi), while “tofu” is the main ingredient of the recipe. The addition of an Italian touch, like extra virgin olive oil, can round out the spicy taste while still maintaining the decisive character of the dish.