BSY Mapo tofu

There are a few varieties of mapo tofu. This one is a classically Cantonese one, my mum's recipe with pork mince, chilli and ginger.

Credit: Adam Liaw

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 50 g peeled ginger
• 50 g peeled garlic
• 100 g long red chilli  
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 200 g fatty pork mince
• 2 tbsp chilli bean sauce
• oyster sauce, to taste
• salt, to taste
• sugar, to taste
• laoganma chilli sauce, to taste
• dark soy sauce, to taste
• 500 g firm tofu, drained, pat dried and cut into 2-cm pieces
• 1 tbsp potato starch mixed with 2 tbsp water
• ground Sichuan pepper, to garnish
• thinly sliced spring onion and coriander leaves, to serve

Instructions

1. Place the ginger, garlic and chilli in a small food processor or a mortar and pestle and process into a paste.
2. Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil, then add the ginger garlic paste and stir for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the pork mince and cook for 2-3 minutes, breaking up any lumps with a large spoon. Add the chilli bean sauce and stir until the oil comes to the surface.
3. Add 300 ml water and bring to boil. Season with oyster sauce, salt, sugar, chilli sauce and a little bit of dark soy sauce. Add the tofu and stir very gently, then stir in the potato starch mixture and cook until slightly thickened.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with Sichuan pepper, spring onion and coriander leaves and serve.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.