15-min meal recipe
When the craving for authentic Sichuan cuisine strikes but you don’t have time to dine out, this home-cooked Mapo Tofu recipe is here to perfectly satisfy your spicy cravings. With explosively flavorful minced pork and soft tofu in a fiery yet complex mala sauce, every ingredient in this classic Chinese dish packs intense savoriness that will have you diving back for more bites. I hope to show just how easy it is to re-create takeout quality Mapo Tofu right at home so you too can experience the lip-tingling bliss of one of Sichuan’s most iconic dishes.
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 200g tender tofu, cut into small cubes
- 100g ground pork
- 50g doubanjiang (spicy bean paste)
- 50g green onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cooking wine
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn powder
- A pinch of chili powder and salt
Sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Now, let’s proceed to the steps:
- Blanch the tofu cubes in boiling water for a moment, remove any impurities, and drain.
- Heat some oil in a pan and stir-fry the ground pork until it changes color.
- Add the doubanjiang and chopped green onions to the pan, and continue stir-frying for a few minutes.
- Add the light soy sauce, cooking wine, Sichuan peppercorn powder, chili powder, and salt to the pan. Mix well.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with water to create a slurry, then slowly add it to the pan while stirring. Continue cooking for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
There you have it! Your Mapo Tofu is ready. Serve it in a bowl and enjoy it with steamed rice.
