Mapo Tofu with Ground Pork
Silky blanched tofu and ground pork in a spicy, numbing doubanjiang and Sichuan pepper sauce, thickened until glossy and spooned over jasmine rice.
Servings: 4
Calories: 508kcal
Ingredients
For the mapo tofu
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 18 oz ground pork (500g)
- 1 inch piece ginger finely chopped (5g)
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon doubanjiang chili bean paste
- ½ tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground (more if you like things spicy) less if you're not a fan of spice
- ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock (250ml)
- 21 oz silken tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes (600g)
- Salt for the tofu water
For the slurry
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon water
To serve
- 4 portions cooked jasmine rice
- Sesame oil for drizzling
- 2 scallions sliced
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground pork and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Fry for 5 minutes.
- Add the ginger, garlic, doubanjiang and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Stir to combine and fry for a further 3 minutes.
- Add the rice wine vinegar, light soy sauce, sugar and black pepper, followed by the chicken stock. Stir to combine.
- Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Add the silken tofu cubes and simmer for 3 minutes to firm up the tofu.
- Drain the tofu, add it to the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Pour the slurry into the skillet and stir gently with the back of a spatula, without breaking up the tofu. The sauce should thicken slightly into a glossy sauce and bubble gently. Taste and season accordingly with more salt, pepper, spice, or sugar.
- Once the sauce is your preferred thickness, serve the mapo tofu over the jasmine rice, topped with a drizzle of sesame oil, the scallions and sesame seeds. Enjoy, my friends!
Notes
- Use more Sichuan peppercorns if you like things spicy. They add numbing tingle more than chili heat.
- Blanching the silken tofu firms it up so the cubes hold their shape in the sauce.
- For gluten-free, use tamari and check your doubanjiang label, since most contain wheat flour.
- For a saucier finish, stop as soon as the slurry has thickened. For a thicker sauce, let it bubble a little longer.
Nutrition
Calories: 508kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 611mg | Potassium: 759mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 78IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg