Ma Po Tofu

[Ben Hong]

Silken dou fu makes the most luxuriously decadent, and smooth ma po dou fu.

[coquus]

I guess I was panicked reading this thread thinking I brought the wrong stuff (4 boxes no less), I need some ground pork stat.

[Steven Blaski]

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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This -- the tofu's texture -- has always been my downfall as well through many frustrating years and numerous recipes to try to create the Ultimate Ma Po Dofu at home. I've tried silken tofu but I find it too ... silken. The texture is too glassy; it lacks a toothsome quality I want. If I can find some "soft" tofu (much harder to find in my area than firm or extra firm or even medium) I'll try that with the suggestions in this thread of not browning it or cooking it much other than adding it toward the end to heat it through.

My gold standard for the dish is Brandy Ho's in SF -- they call it "Bean Curd with Meat Sauce." The meat sauce is extremely savory and gravylike. The bean curd is soft and custardy -- but not silken-y. Another thing about their version I love is that they use peas in their sauce. That vegetable's color and sweetness make for a nice contrast with the beige-brown and the heat.

My quest continues ....