Ma Po Tofu

[jmolinari]

I love Ma Po. A restaurant here in atlanta makes the best...but i'd like to approximate it at home. I'm basing this on Dunlop's "Land of Plenty"..the sauce is good, but i can't get the texture of the tofu right. I've used hard, medium and soft tofu, i've tried simmering it before using it (as Dunlop says to do), and also not, but my tofu always comes out a bit "spongy"...the one at the restaurant i go to is sort of slimy (in a good way), and soft and has a really nice texture...

Any ideas? SHould i be using silken tofu? I thought that stuff was basically a paste...

thanks

jason

[Seitch]

I love Ma Po. A restaurant here in atlanta makes the best...but i'd like to approximate it at home. I'm basing this on Dunlop's "Land of Plenty"..the sauce is good, but i can't get the texture of the tofu right. I've used hard, medium and soft tofu, i've tried simmering it before using it (as Dunlop says to do), and also not, but my tofu always comes out a bit "spongy"...the one at the restaurant i go to is sort of slimy (in a good way), and soft and has a really nice texture...

Any ideas? SHould i be using silken tofu? I thought that stuff was basically a paste...

thanks

jason

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You should probably try to use silken tofu but be careful and don't stir it up too much after adding the cubed tofu to the pan. Otherwise you'll end up with a plate of mush.

[jmolinari]

Yeah, i guess i'll try that next...i wonder if i should simmer it first in water, or not...

jason

[Yuki]

Yeah, i guess i'll try that next...i wonder if i should simmer it first in water, or not...

jason

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You don't need to cook the tofu first. I usually just cook the mixture until it starts to bubble up a bit then add the silken tofu(cut into large block). The dish is then stir fried for a few moment until the tofu warm up and it is dinner time.

Edited May 3, 2005 by Yuki (log)

[jmolinari]

Thanks Yuki, so you use silken tofu? I'll have to give that a try next time.

jason

[Yuki]

Thanks Yuki, so you use silken tofu? I'll have to give that a try next time.

jason

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When I cook with tofu, I prefer the silken ones since they are so much more smooth. If I need to use tofu to absorb the flavor in a dish then I would use fried tofu, or iced tofu(freeze silken tofu in the fridge and defrost them, they will turn into a sponge). There are so much different types of tofu product and even the silken tofu from different company would have different taste and texture. You might want to try different types of tofu to find out which kind is more suitable for different style of dishes.

[hzrt8w]

You don't need to cook the tofu first. I usually just cook the mixture until it starts to bubble up a bit then add the silken tofu(cut into large block). The dish is then stir fried for a few moment until the tofu warm up and it is dinner time. 

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Yuki is right on! That's exactly how I do mine too. Cook the mixture (meat + sauces) just about 1/2 way before it boils (judged by experience), then add the silken tofu (soft tofu) - sliced into big cubes (they will break apart anyway). Bring the rest to a boil but keep the stirring to a minimum. Sprinkle a bit of chopped green onions on top before serving. (Optional: a dash of sesame oil and some white pepper on top - or powder peppercorn if you believe in authentic Mapo tofu must contain peppercorn).

Edited May 3, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[Evan]

Sprinkle a bit of chopped green onions on top before serving.

Try using garlic shoots if you got old garlic that sprouted. They add a little more to the dish.

[yimay]

you are overcooking the tofu, that's why it gets spongy. as mentioned by other members, you only need to add the cubed tofu at the last minute to warm through and then serve. don't cover it as it's warming, or the tofu will expand and start to change textures. you can use silken tofu, just be very careful not to stir the dish too much.

[gus_tatory]

slightly off topic, but germane to conversation i think:

what do you call (in Cantonese or Mandarine) that fresh, hot, soft tofu that is served at the end of dimsum with warm ginger syrup on it?

dao-fu ___?

thanks in advance...

[Dejah]

slightly off topic, but germane to conversation i think:

what do you call (in Cantonese or Mandarine) that fresh, hot, soft tofu that is served at the end of dimsum with warm ginger syrup on it?

dao-fu ___?

thanks in advance...

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dao fu fa....YUM!

I finally had this delicious dessert again last October. It had been years since I used to get this treat when I went to the market in HK with my gung gung. I love watching the vendor use the thin scoop to ladle out thin slabs of dao fu fa into bowls, then topping it with a slathering of simple syrup.

[Dejah]

Made quick Ma Po Tofu tonight for supper 'cos my son who's been away for a year requested it.

I didn't use Szchuan peppercorns 'cos I was too lazy to roast and grind...I added chopped Thai chili peppers, along with toban sauce and a big dollop of crunchy peanut butter. I don't usually add PB, but hey! It added another flavour.

That hint of PB was interesting...the flavour came thru' before everything else did. (My son's observation). I started using soft tofu again instead of med. firm I like this better...smooth and silky.

I cut the tofu into 1" cubes and drained them in a colander for an hour or so. These were gently browned in the wok then put into a dish to keep warm. After I browned the onion, ground pork, chilis, PB and toban sauce, I added the tofu back and tossed it all together. The PB added another hint of flavour as well as thickened the liquid just enough to bind the whole concoction. I ate mine with lots of fresh cilantro.

[hzrt8w]

Made quick Ma Po Tofu tonight for supper 'cos my son who's been away for a year requested it.

I didn't use Szchuan peppercorns 'cos I was too lazy to roast and grind...I added chopped Thai chili peppers, along with toban sauce and a big dollop of crunchy peanut butter. I don't usually add PB, but hey! It added another flavour.

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What? No Szechuan peppercorn? You can make it however you want, as long as you don't call it Mapo Doufu.

I can't believe you used Peanut Butter! Peanut Butter? This is too Canadianized. No, too Manitobized. No, too Hillmanized. You gotta call this "Fapo Doufu" perhaps (Fa as in Fa Sung [peanuts]).

Why brown the tofu? I think the essence of Mapo Tofu is the soft, silken texture of tofu in contrast to the "rough" ground pork, and the contrast of bland tofu to the rich taste of the meat. When you brown your tofu, most likely you are using the harder kind of tofu, or that the browning process will harden the skin of the tofu, and that you deminishing the attractiveness of this dish. Most Chinese Restaurants that worths the reputation of being "authentic" in the USA (which I had tried) that offer this dish invariably use silken tofu, no pre-browning.

[browniebaker]

slightly off topic, but germane to conversation i think:

what do you call (in Cantonese or Mandarine) that fresh, hot, soft tofu that is served at the end of dimsum with warm ginger syrup on it?

dao-fu ___?

thanks in advance...

←

dao fu fa....YUM!

I finally had this delicious dessert again last October. It had been years since I used to get this treat when I went to the market in HK with my gung gung. I love watching the vendor use the thin scoop to ladle out thin slabs of dao fu fa into bowls, then topping it with a slathering of simple syrup.

←

I think fa means "flower" (hua in Mandarin). We call that tofu dao hweh in the Taiwanese dialect of Chinese, hweh meaning "flower."

[Dejah]

Made quick Ma Po Tofu tonight for supper 'cos my son who's been away for a year requested it.

I didn't use Szchuan peppercorns 'cos I was too lazy to roast and grind...I added chopped Thai chili peppers, along with toban sauce and a big dollop of crunchy peanut butter. I don't usually add PB, but hey! It added another flavour.

←

What? No Szechuan peppercorn? You can make it however you want, as long as you don't call it Mapo Doufu

Why? Is the name Ma and the term PO specific to Szechuan?

I can't believe you used Peanut Butter! Peanut Butter? This is too Canadianized. No, too Manitobized. No, too Hillmanized. You gotta call this "Fapo Doufu" perhaps (Fa as in Fa Sung [peanuts]).

Canadianized? Hmmm, I would have thought PB was very American: PB and Jelly sandwiche, Elvis's infamous PB/banana sandwiches?

Don't knock the PB until you've tried it. Actually, the first time I had this dish was made by my s-i-l from HK. She used PB, fermented black beans, and chilis to make it as we didn't have the toban chili paste. We can call it "fusion"!

Why brown the tofu? I think the essence of Mapo Tofu is the soft, silken texture of tofu in contrast to the "rough" ground pork, and the contrast of bland tofu to the rich taste of the meat. When you brown your tofu, most likely you are using the harder kind of tofu, or that the browning process will harden the skin of the tofu, and that you deminishing the attractiveness of this dish. Most Chinese Restaurants that worths the reputation of being "authentic" in the USA (which I had tried) that offer this dish invariably use silken tofu, no pre-browning.

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Dare you call my tofu "unattractive"!!!??? Don't think brown as in browning meat. This gave it a light tan colour and wok flavour. My main purpose for this step is to warm the tofu so that not much tossing is required to heat it. I used soft tofu and it didn't toughen the skin at all. The texture was silky and soft, but not mushy. The toban sauce added a golden tone to the tofu anyway...Who wants ghostly white tofu?!

Call me a rebel!

[sheetz]

Since it didn't seem like anyone else wanted a Mapo Dofu cookoff I went ahead and made up a batch using arecipe from Martin Yan. The result was bland and watery, more like Ma Po Soup! I had to doctor it up with some more hot bean paste and cornstach before it was palatable. Next I'm going to try an interesting recipe by Eileen Y F Lo which uses ketchup and sichuan pckles.

[Dejah]

Since it didn't seem like anyone else wanted a Mapo Dofu cookoff I went ahead and made up a batch using arecipe from Martin Yan.  The result was bland and watery, more like Ma Po Soup! I had to doctor it up with some more hot bean paste and cornstach before it was palatable.  Next I'm going to try an interesting recipe by Eileen Y F Lo which uses ketchup and sichuan pckles.

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Careful, sheetz! hzrt will call it ketpick dofu...not sichuan

Did you take pictures?

Mine still looks very much like the one in my blog from last August.

[sheetz]

[

Did you take pictures?

Sorry, no pics. I don't own a digital camera. In any case, it looked just like any other Ma Po Tofu I've ever seen.

P.S. I'll have to try that Ma Po PB Tofu. Sounds intriguing.

Edited June 8, 2005 by sheetz (log)

[hzrt8w]

What?  No Szechuan peppercorn?  You can make it however you want, as long as you don't call it Mapo Doufu

Why? Is the name Ma and the term PO specific to Szechuan?  

Call me a rebel!

←

Hmmm... what happened to all my smileys? Sorry, my post sounded too serious. I was doing a tongue-in-cheek.

It wasn't my assertion. I was doing an impression, and obviously did a very bad job at, of another poster who said that.

Sheetz:

I took a look at Martin Yan's Mapo Tofu recipe. I was surprised by it. Overly simplistic it seemed. I have seen his China Town show. His techniques seemed good, but I would not think him as the top chef of real culinary arts. In fact I learned a few things from that show. But the Mapo tofu recipe posted seemed so unlike his style. Maybe he needs to fire his assistance.

For one thing: Marinating pork with just soy and corn starch... hmmm... no wonder your dish tasted bland. Sauce: soy and water, and some sesame oil.... hmmm no wonder your dish tasted bland.

My philosophy: The marinade for your meat is very important. You need to "par-cook" your ground pork first. (Brown the meat) Taste your meat after you brown it. If it tastes great as is, your dish will taste very good. If it doesn't taste like much, no sauce or other methods would revive your dish. So, first start with marinating your meat properly. Taste it after you brown the meat. Learn through feedback and repetition.

Try my recipe: But I don't have time to write a full-scale one. So... use your Chinese food cooking experience for your judgement:

Marinade for your pork: sesame oil, ground white pepper, light soy sauce, xaoxing wine, corn starch, oyster sauce. (This is very basic)... Mix and marinate for over 30 minutes if you can.

Brown your meat first. Remove. No need to wash your pan/wok. Kind of like the French technique of deglazing the pan. Add oil, high heat, add chopped garlic (generous), ground ginger (if you like), chili bean paste, brown bean paste, hoisin sauce, dash in white vinegar. Stir. Add chicken broth. Add a bit of soy sauce. Wait til boiled. Add corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce. Then add the silken tofu (criss-cross, about 1 in by 1 in. Just use a small knief to criss-cross it. Let it be rectangular like thick fries. It will break apart anyway. Cook til sauce is boiling again (with tofu). Stir very gently. At last re-add ground pork. Stir. Add chopped green onions or cilantro. Finishing touch: sprinkle peppercorn powder and drip in some sesame oil. (if you use the whole peppercorn, you need to roast it first, and add to the pan while sauteeing garlic at the beginning.

[hzrt8w]

P.S. I still am not sure about the PB version...

Edited June 8, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[Dejah]

What?  No Szechuan peppercorn?  You can make it however you want, as long as you don't call it Mapo Doufu

Why? Is the name Ma and the term PO specific to Szechuan?  

Call me a rebel!

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Hmmm... what happened to all my smileys? Sorry, my post sounded too serious. I was doing a tongue-in-cheek.

It wasn't my assertion. I was doing an impression, and obviously did a very bad job at, of another poster who said that.

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I took your comments as "tongue in cheek", hzrt.

[sheetz]

hzrt8w, your version is actually a lot like the kind that I usually make. I just wanted to try MY's recipe for comparison's sake. And I definitely always marinate my meat beforehand when doing my own recipes.

[stephenc]

I don't like mine made with Silken tofu. I usually use soft or medium.

I also like throwing in Thai basil at the end.

[coquus]

I don't like mine made with Silken tofu.  I usually use soft or medium.

I also like throwing in Thai basil at the end.

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I bought a bunch of silken tofu sight unseen with hopes of making much mapo, sadly I think it's the wrong kind. What other ideas do people have? I've pretty much run out after smoothies and dessert, neither of which appeal to my manly appetites.

[sheetz]

I don't like mine made with Silken tofu.  I usually use soft or medium.

I also like throwing in Thai basil at the end.

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I bought a bunch of silken tofu sight unseen with hopes of making much mapo, sadly I think it's the wrong kind. What other ideas do people have? I've pretty much run out after smoothies and dessert, neither of which appeal to my manly appetites.

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Why can't you use silken tofu? I use soft tofu for mapo tofu and the best way I've found to prevent the curds from breaking up is to make the meat sauce first, then gently slide the cubed tofu in and gently simmer for a few minutes.