Mapo Tofu

Ingredients

• 400g soft tofu, cubed
• 150g ground pork (omit for vegetarian, use mushrooms)
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)
• 1 tbsp fermented black beans, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water (slurry)
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Steps

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a bare simmer and gently simmer tofu cubes for 10-12 minutes to firm them and remove any raw bean flavor; drain gently.
2. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Brown the ground pork until crisp.
3. Add doubanjiang to the wok and fry alone for 30-60 seconds until the oil turns red and it smells fragrant. Then add the black beans, garlic, and ginger; fry 20-30 seconds more.
4. Pour in stock and soy sauce, bring to a simmer.
5. Gently slide in tofu, simmer 5 minutes without stirring hard (shake the pan instead).
6. Stir in cornstarch slurry to thicken. Top with scallions and ground Sichuan peppercorns.