Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐(má pó dòu fù) is one of the top 10 dishes that represents Sichuan style cuisine. Most people think the word 麻 (má) refers to its meaning for “numb”, indicative of the Sichuan peppercorn that has a numbing effect. The word 婆 (pó) means “old lady”. And so the story goes…in the early 1800’s a couple with the last name Chen opened up a restaurant in Chengdu, Sichuan. Their tofu dish was famous for its flavor and texture. The wife had pockmarks or 麻子 (má zi) all over her face. Unfortunately for Mrs. Chen, people started to call her 陳麻婆 (chén má pó) and hence the name 麻婆豆腐 (má pó dòu fù) came into being.
Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐 has a signature taste of red chilis , Sichuan peppercorns, and red chili oil. The tofu is soft and smooth and doesn’t break apart during cooking. It is traditionally made with minced beef but has evolved to using mostly pork to cater to a fairly substantial Chinese population who don’t eat beef.
In my Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐 recipe, I have modified it to make it much less spicy. The only spice I use is from the hot soy paste, which is fairly mild. I also make it with pork because I don’t think the courser texture of beef really goes well with the soft tofu. I also make the sauce thicker so that it is easier to eat with rice. But you can add the spices you like to customize it for you and your family. You can even skip the hot soy paste so that it’s not spicy at all. This is a super easy recipe that can be made in 30 minutes or less. Great with rice or noodles! Make a fusion dish by putting it on top of spaghetti!
Need more ideas for dinner? How about my recipe for Honey Soy Chicken 蜜汁豉油雞扒 or Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry 西蘭花炒牛肉.
Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐
Ingredients
- 300 g Ground pork
- 450 g Medium or firm tofu dice to your preferred size
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 4 Shiitake mushrooms diced
- 2 Shallots
- 1 stalk Green onions chopped
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Light soy sauce for marinade
- 1 tsp Sugar for marinade
- 1 tsp Corn starch for marinade
- 1 tsp Soybean sauce/paste 黄豆瓣酱
- 2 tsp Hot soybean sauce/paste
- 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
- ¾ c Broth or water
- 2 tsp Corn starch for slurry
- 90 ml Water for slurry
Instructions
- Marinade ground pork with 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch. Mix well
- Heat a pan to medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp oil and add ground pork. Stir-fry until golden colour, reduce heat and remove the pork from heat
- Resume heat to medium-high, add garlic and shallots. Fry until aromatic and add shitake mushrooms.
- Add 1 tsp yellow soy paste, 2 tsp hot soy paste, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine and 2 tbsp oyster sauce to the pan. Add tofu and mix everything together
- Add ¾ cups of broth or water
- Add the pork and mix together. Bring heat down to low and cover the pan with a lid
- Let simmer for 10 minutes
- Add ¾ of the chopped green onions and mix well
- Make the slurry by combining 2 tsp of cornstarch with 90ml of water. Mix well and pour into the pan
- Mix well and turn off heat after the sauce thickens
- Put onto serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining green onions on top
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