🌶️🧄 Mapo Tofu - Hong Kong's signature spicy dish

Editor's Preface

Mapo tofu is a hallmark of Sichuan cuisine, spicy, salty, and fragrant. The smooth tofu is coated in a spicy sauce that's sure to leave you wanting two more bowls of rice! Hong Kongers can adapt the dish to a mild or intense spice level. The ingredients are easy to find, and you can create a chef-quality dish without leaving the house. This recipe follows the authentic steps, guaranteeing a perfectly balanced wok-fried flavor with no mistakes!

Ingredients preparation

• 1 box of soft tofu (about 350g, either northern or southern tofu is acceptable)

• 100g minced pork/beef

• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)

• 2 slices of ginger (minced)

• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion

• 2 tablespoons Pixian fermented bean paste

• 1 tablespoon fermented black beans (slightly chopped)

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder/chopped chili (depending on your preference)

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper powder/pepper oil (for numbing flavor)

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 120ml chicken broth/water

• 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch/cornstarch (add water to make cornstarch water)

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

• A small amount of sesame oil and white pepper

Detailed cooking process

🥣 1. Tofu processing

• Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes and soak them in salt water for 2 minutes (to firm the tofu and remove the bean smell, so that the tofu does not fall apart easily).

• Remove from the dish and slowly drain the water, then set aside.

🍳 2. Stir-fry minced meat until fragrant

• Heat oil in a pan and sauté minced garlic, minced ginger, and a little chopped green onion (the white part) over medium-low heat.

• Add minced pork/beef and stir-fry until completely broken up and slightly fragrant.

🌶️ 3. Spicy base

• Add the fermented black beans, fermented black beans, and chili powder to the wok and stir-fry until the oil turns red and the aroma spreads.

• Add light soy sauce and sugar to enhance the flavor.

🍲 4. Braised Tofu

• Pour in chicken broth or water, stir well and bring to a boil.

• Gently add the tofu cubes, use a spatula to scoop the soup over the noodles, and do not stir vigorously (to ensure that it does not fall apart).

• Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the tofu is flavored.

🥄 5. Add starch and sauce to taste

• Taste and adjust the spiciness and saltiness.

• Beat the cornstarch water and slowly pour in the sauce. The soup should be enough to cover Jack's body.

• Sprinkle pepper oil or pepper powder, stir well and turn off the heat.

🍚 6. Serve

• Sprinkle plenty of chopped green onions, and garnish with a little sesame oil and crushed peppercorns.

• If you like, you can garnish with white sesame seeds, chopped green onions or shredded chili peppers.

Editor's Tips

• If you want a spicy taste, you can use authentic Sichuan peppercorns, which are baked and crushed to add an extra spicy flavor.

• When frying garlic and broad bean paste, be sure not to use too high a heat, otherwise the flavor will be lost and the mixture will become bitter.

• Soak the tofu in salt water first so that it remains firm when fried and looks delicious.

• If the sauce isn’t colorful enough, you can add a little dark soy sauce, but the real flavor comes from the fermented black bean oil.

• If you can tolerate strong flavors, you can add chili oil and rice wine to enhance the flavor.

Eating experience 😋

The outer layer of the smooth tofu is soaked in spicy meat sauce, which makes it smooth and chewy, spicy and numbing, and fresh. It is great for soaking up the sauce with rice, and you won’t have enough rice to eat!

summary

Mapo Tofu has endless variations, and the Hong Kong style easily manages the spiciness and numbness. Knowing how to make it will delight your family's taste buds. Whip up a quick dish tonight and wow your family and friends! 🌶️🧄🍚
If you want to make delicious fried tofu mapo, mixed preserved eggs, add enoki mushrooms and other new versions, feel free to ask the editor!