#mapodoufu

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

Ginger (I thumb, minced)

Garlic (5 cloves, minced)

Dried Chilli (I used thai birds’ eye chillies, but you can use the bigger chinese dried chillies) - 6 pieces, or to taste, cut open. *WARNING: SPICY*

Minced Beef 300g

Tofu 100g/1 box (Get the silken yet firm sort that can be used in stir-fries) - cut into cubes

Chilli Bean Paste  - 3 tbsp, or to taste *WARNING: SPICY*

Black Bean Chili Paste “

- 3 tbsp, or to taste *WARNING: SPICY*

Stock - 1 cup (You might want to use beef stock for a richer taste)

Yellow cooking rice wine (optional - I didn’t put this in due to this, and I couldn’t find any on Amazon, but the words are: 黄酒)

Corn Starch or Potato Starch (2tbsp)

Sichuan Peppercorns - (3 tbsp) or to taste

Spring Onions to garnish (1 decimated garden’s worth 1 sprig, or to taste), chopped.

Also, have a kettle of boiling water and a bottle of oil handy for a quicker cook time!

Method

1. Heat 2-3tbsp of oil in a wok on medium heat and throw in the ginger, garlic, and dried chillies, and fry until the garlic is golden.

2. Throw in the beef and stir-fry till cooked. 

3. Put in the chilli bean paste, black bean chilli paste, yellow cooking rice wine (optional) and mix well with the beef.

4. Put in the stock and heat to a simmer.

5. Meanwhile, boil a pot of water and put in the tofu for 15-30 secs, and drain well. (I usually skip this step when making regular mapo tofu because I’m lazy, but this really helped to make each bite of tofu equally soft and warm.

6. Put the tofu into the  beef and heat to a simmer.

7. Mix the starch with about 2-3 tbsp of room temperature water, turn off the heat, and slowly mix it into the tofu-meat mixture.

8. Remove onto a plate. But we’re not done yet!

7. Now’s the part for the secret technique! Heat a pan with about another 2-3 tbsp of oil, and test the temperature by dropping one Sichuan Peppercorn in. It should sizzle.

8. Put the rest of the Sichuan Peppercorns into the oil and fry for about 20-30s, or until you hear a crunchy sound when you use your spatula to crush one. Make sure they don’t turn black - that means they’re burnt.

9. Pour the sizzling peppercorns and oil over your plate of Tofu and Meat, and garnish with the spring onions.

10. Serve! Hiyaaaa!

11. Eat and realize that you have learnt how to firebend.

Honestly, people rarely eat Mapo Tofu on its own, so the Bottomless Pit and I had it with rice. 

Also, I’ve started using Amazon affliliate links

so you can get the harder-to-find stuff delivered to your doorstep. :D

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