Recipe: Ma Po Tofu

[rasamalaysia]

Hi there, my friend from Sichuan taught me how to make this dish. It's a fantastic recipe, something that you can't get from the Chinese restaurants in the US.

Do try out the recipe: http://www.rasamalaysia.com/2007/09/recipe-ma-po-tofu.html

[hongda]

Interesting recipe. I'll have to give it a try. The ones I made before used a black bean paste with garlic that came out of a jar/can. The other variation is a mabo tofu japanese style with miso paste.....

[Domestic Goddess]

You should also try Ah Leung's Mapo Tofu in his very informative recipe pictorial thread. That's where I first got to try out the recipe.

[Doodad]

You should also try Ah Leung's Mapo Tofu in his very informative recipe pictorial thread. That's where I first got to try out the recipe.

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I will try it thanks. And thanks to the OP for hers as well. This is my hands down favorite Chinese dish and the one that got me eating tofu.

[Doodad]

Hi there, my friend from Sichuan taught me how to make this dish. It's a fantastic recipe, something that you can't get from the Chinese restaurants in the US.

Do try out the recipe: http://www.rasamalaysia.com/2007/09/recipe-ma-po-tofu.html

←

That is almost verbatim how I make it. In fact, this thread got me so hungry I picked up some this morning for a dish one night.

I stopped using the whole fermented black beans though. I find the ready made paste just as satisfying and a little more useful to me in other things.

[rasamalaysia]

All - for your convenience, here is the recipe:

Recipe: Ma Po Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

Ingredients:

1 block silken tofu (19 oz box)

1/4 lb ground pork

3 tablespoons Sichuan spicy bean paste (辣豆瓣酱)

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons cooking oil

3 tablespoons chili oil

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (roasted and ground to powder)

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon fermented black beans (rinsed and pounded)

2 stalks of leeks or scallions (chopped into 1 or 2-inch length)

2 gloves garlic (chopped)

1/2 cup water

Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the tofu into small pieces, drain the water from the tofu and set aside. Heat up a wok and pour in the cooking oil and chili oil. Add the chopped garlic, ground pork, spicy bean paste and stir-fry until the pork is half-done. Then add in chili powder, soy sauce, fermented black beans and stir-fry until aromatic. Add in the tofu and water; stir gently to blend the tofu (don't break them) well with the sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3-5 mins or until the sauce thickens. Add in the roasted Sichuan peppercorn powder and chopped scallions. Gently stir and blend well. Dish out and serve hot.

[rasamalaysia]

Hongda - I guess black bean paste works too, but then spicy bean paste will do a better job.

[rasamalaysia]

Doodad - you should share your creation here...come post a picture.