This spicy, aromatic Sichuan dish is recognizable from the citrus aroma of Sichuan peppercorns and the spicy fermented flavor of hot bean sauce. According to legend, Mapo Tofu (Pock-Marked Grandma’s Tofu) was named after an old Chinese woman who served the dish to her restaurant guests. She became known for it and people began referring to the dish as the pock-marked woman’s tofu.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons whole Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons hot bean paste (such as toban djan)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons hot sesame oil or hot chile oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- One 1-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon salted fermented black beans, rinsed and finely chopped
- 1 pound ground pork
- One 14-ounce package firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and light green parts only
- 5 cups steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a wok over medium-high heat and toast the Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer the peppercorns to a bowl to cool. Coarsely grind the peppercorns in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the chicken broth, hot bean paste, cornstarch, hot sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar; set aside.
- Heat the wok over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil, garlic, ginger and fermented black beans and cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 10 seconds. Add the ground pork and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat with a wooden spatula or spoon, until it is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. (Lower the heat to medium if the garlic starts to burn.) Add the reserved ground peppercorns, the tofu and the soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring once to combine, until the sauce is reduced, thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and garnish with the scallions. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 831 |
| Total Fat | 41 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 9 grams |
| Cholesterol | 77 milligrams |
| Sodium | 767 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 80 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 grams |
| Sugar | 12 grams |
| Protein | 39 grams |
Reviews
Wow,
This was Deliciousness on a plate.
Why the 4 stars and not 5…I strongly dislike when the show/video differs from the written recipe!!!!
Like the step of soaking the tofu in salted water, this step is so needed!
Also the written says you could sub chili oil in place of sesame oil…either of these are NOT close to the same family. I used 1 TBSP of sesame oil AND 1 TBSP of chili oil.
I also will add that by soaking the tofu in salted water (I used boiling chicken broth), it makes the texture of the firm, tofu food, quite silky. Also it takes the raw sweet taste out of the tofu.
Please make this recipe, it will make your tastebuds dance!
Also Food Network, please match the video to the written recipe?
This was Deliciousness on a plate.
Why the 4 stars and not 5…I strongly dislike when the show/video differs from the written recipe!!!!
Like the step of soaking the tofu in salted water, this step is so needed!
Also the written says you could sub chili oil in place of sesame oil…either of these are NOT close to the same family. I used 1 TBSP of sesame oil AND 1 TBSP of chili oil.
I also will add that by soaking the tofu in salted water (I used boiling chicken broth), it makes the texture of the firm, tofu food, quite silky. Also it takes the raw sweet taste out of the tofu.
Please make this recipe, it will make your tastebuds dance!
Also Food Network, please match the video to the written recipe?
Followed as written with excellent results
There is no sugar necessary in this dish if you use Chinese rice wine. Also, mapo dofu should be made with silken, not firm tofu. Cut a block of silken tofu into squares and simmer in lightly salted water for one minute, gently drain and add all at once. Stir carefully so as not to break it up. This is far more authentic.
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Tasted just like the Korean restaurant we order from.
What, no whole dried chili peppers? I appreciate how hot this recipe is, but if I make it I’ll definitely be adding a generous handful from my arsenal of chili peppers.
The Lady and Pups recipe is way more detailed and way more involved; while I love it, this one is much less time-consuming and uses 4x the ground pork, which is fine by me. One thing Mandy Lee is adamant about and that I agree with, however, is using soft tofu and being gentle when mixing. She also stresses using both red and green sichuan peppercorns, which I’d like to try. So I think I’ll use those Lady and Pups mapo tofu ideas along with this recipe. Thanks!
This was so easy and tasted better than our local take out! I will definitely be making this dish on a regular basis.
Wonderful flavor, family loved it. Substituted ground veal for pork, worked fine. Be sure to get the right ingredients from a good Asian market, and enjoy.