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Taiwanese-Style Mapo Tofu

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese, Taiwanese
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 1 block Soft or firm tofu about 400g
  • 100 g Ground pork
Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Doubanjiang (spicy bean paste) Lee Kum Kee or Yuki brand in Japan
  • 1 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Rice wine
  • 1/2 tsp Sugar
  • to taste Salt
Broth
  • 150 ml Chicken stock or water
Aromatics
  • 4 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Ginger minced
  • 2 stalks Spring onion sliced
  • 3–5 pcs Dried red chillies adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
Thickening slurry
  • 1.5 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp Water
Finishing
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Sichuan pepper optional
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil
  • 2 tsp Neutral oil

Equipment

  • Wok
  • Small pot for blanching tofu
  • Spatula

Method
 

Prep the tofu
  1. Cut tofu into 2 cm cubes. Blanch in lightly salted boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain. This firms up the tofu and prevents it from falling apart during cooking.
Fry the base
  1. Heat oil in a wok over low heat. Add Sichuan peppercorns and fry gently for about 1 minute until fragrant. Remove peppercorns. Increase heat to medium, add dried chillies, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry until aromatic.
Cook the pork
  1. Add ground pork. Stir-fry until browned and crumbled. Add doubanjiang and stir-fry for 2 minutes until red oil appears around the edges.
Braise the tofu
  1. Add chicken stock, soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar. Stir to combine. Gently add the tofu cubes. Simmer over low heat for 3–5 minutes, nudging (not stirring) the tofu occasionally.
Thicken
  1. Mix cornstarch with water. Add to the wok in two batches, stirring gently between each addition, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the tofu.
Finish and serve
  1. Drizzle with sesame oil before turning off the heat. Serve topped with spring onion and a pinch of ground Sichuan pepper.

Notes

  1. Fry the doubanjiang until red oil appears around the edges — this is the key to the dish depth. Takes about 1–2 minutes on medium-low heat.
  2. Always blanch the tofu first. Salted boiling water removes the raw bean smell and makes it hold together better.
  3. Push, do not stir. Use a wooden spoon to nudge the tofu from the edges — flipping it will cause it to crumble.
  4. Add the cornstarch slurry in two stages — easier to control the final thickness.
  5. Doubanjiang is salty by nature. Taste before adding extra salt.
  6. In Japan: Lee Kum Kee doubanjiang is the closest match, available at AEON or Donki.
  7. Vegetarian version: skip the pork, use finely chopped king oyster mushrooms instead — equally satisfying.