Spicy, salty, a bit pungent with a heady aroma, this classic and very popular Chinese dish from the Sichuan (Szechuan) province is a favorite with my family because it is both delicous and easy to prepare. I’ve cooked Ma Po tofu before but I was looking for a particular combination of spices and seasonings that would give it that certain oomph!
That happened yesterday, finally. How? I added an essential ingredient that I did not have during my previous attempts at cooking the dish — Sichuan peppercorns. And there’s the matter of adding Shao Xing rice wine.
There’s a bonus too! Because miso soup has become a family favorite — we have it at least once a week — I have become a wiz at cutting perfect cubes of soft tofu. And I have learned to stir them without breaking them.
A few tips…
Chili bean paste is available in the Oriental section of some supermarkets. I use Lee Kum Kee.
If Shao Xing rice wine is unavailable, substitute any good quality Chinese cooking wine.
Use fish sauce sparingly because the black beans are already very salty.
Ma Po tofu
Ingredients
- 300 grams silken tofu cut into 1 and 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon fermented black beans
- 2 tablespoons ginger finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 shallots chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili bean paste
- 1/4 cup Shao Xing rice wine
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1/4 kilogram ground pork
- fish sauce to taste
- 6 stalks green onion onion leaves, cut into half-inch lengths
- handful of cilantro roughly chopped
Instructions
- Measure the sichuan peppercorns. Use a mortar and pestle to pound and grind them.
- Measure the fermented black beans, drain (if soaked in brine) and rinse. If using dry black beans, soak in a little warm water to rehydrate.
- Add the fermented black beans to the sichuan peppercorns and grind with a circular motion of the wrist. Continue grinding until the mixture resembles a coarse paste.
- Heat the cooking oil. Add the ground pork and cook until the meat changes color. Add the ground Sichuan peppercorns and black beans and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the garlic, ginger, shallots and chili bean paste. Season with fish sauce then pour in the Shao Xing rice wine. Bring to the boil. Add the tofu cubes, stir lightly, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked Ma Po tofu to a serving platter, sprinkle the onion leaves on top followed by the cilantro, and serve immediately.
Sichuan (Szechwan or Szechuan) peppercorns
Very impressive! Where did you find the peppercorns?
Hi Ms. Connie,
My hubby can’t have pork or beef because of hypertension. Is it ok to use ground chicken instead?
Hahaha! Will the smoke detector not make a shrill alarm as soon as smoke ensues from our nostrils and ears the moment we munch on this delectable dish? ;) mukhang really maanghang???
In an Asian store in Quezon City, Haley.
Camile, oh yes!
Crisma, naku, highly toned na ang spiciness ng version ko because I really don’t enjoy ultra spicy dishes. I like them spicy but not so spicy that you can’t taste the other flavors in the dish anymore.
I have all the ingredients here — yehey! I think now might be the time to finally attempt mapo tofu. Thanks!
ms connie, you can try pan-toasting the peppercorns before grinding to bring out the essence. i love ma po tofu as well, but find most of the restaurant offerings a little too oily for my taste. will try this one though. thanks.
For an all out vegetarian version, try using a mixture of mushrooms in place of the pork. I’ve experimented with using shittake, button, straw mushrooms, and when available portobellos (just chop them all up and cook in the wok for a few minutes to reduce moisture). And because I’m a chilli-head, I throw in several dried up chilli peppers while I’m frying up my mapodofu. It makes me feel like I’m back in China, eating good sichuan food.
Mila, me being such a mushroom lover, I will definitely try your suggestion. I especially love straw mushrooms. :)
Hi Ms Connie,
What brand of tofu do you use? with several brands in the frozen section of the grocery, I find it difficult to choose which tofu to buy. The prices also range. I bought a pack at about P40 for one whole block but it did not taste good. What do I need to look for in a good-tasting tofu? Many thanks!
Masoya, Ayen. :)