SIMPLE VEGAN MAPO TOFU

I cooked this for dinner yesterday for the first time and Tobias told me that this is up there with his favourite dishes.

So, your family and friends are going to love this!

For making Mapo Tofu you will need essential ingredients: Szechuan peppercorns and Doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste). You can find this in Asian grocery store.

Ingredients for 2-3:
1 block (400g) Soft tofu (NOT silk tofu), cut into bite-sized cubes
5 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
Shimeji mushrooms (150g)
Enoki mushrooms (100g)
2 tbsp Doubanjiang paste
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
A thumb of ginger, sliced
5 pieces of dried chili (or 1 tsp chili powder)
2 fresh chili (optional)
2 stalks spring onion/scallions, cut it with scissors

Sauce:
Prepare in a bowl:
1,5 cup / 400 ml of vegetable stock (water mixed with vegetable bouillon powder)
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp white pepper (or black pepper)

Let’s cook!

  1. Heat a saucepan of water over high heat. When the water is at gentle simmer, add a generous couple of pinches of salt, then add the tofu pieces. Simmer for 2 minutes, then turn the heat off, and just let the tofu sit in that hot salty water.
  2. Heat your pan, when it’s hot, pour oil.
  3. Then add the garlic, ginger, chili and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry for half a minute. Don’t burn the garlic.
  4. Add in mushrooms, stirring for about 30 seconds.
  5. Now gently strain out the tofu into the pan.
  6. Add in spring onion
  7. Pour in the sauce, and gently stir it for about 3 minutes, let the magic happen.
  8. Taste it if it needs anymore seasoning, serve.

Tips:

  • The cooking process is quick, so ‘mise en place’ (french) – getting all ingredients ready before cooking.
  • Before cooking tofu, cook rice (best use the rice cooker), so rice is ready when the mapo tofu is done.
  • Classically it should be spicy and numbing. If you don’t like spicy, don’t put chili/ chili powder.
  • Gentle simmer means bringing the water below boiling. If your pot begins to boil, turn the heat down to maintain that gentle bubbling. Rapid boil will break up the tofu.

Delicious flavorful mapo tofu, serve it with hot steamy rice.
Guten Appetit,
Titien

PS: If you tried my recipe, I’d love to see your result. Please leave me a comment how you liked it and send me photo, or tag me on Instagram @titienmaier. Thanks 😊

For other recipes, visit my kitchen.

Mise en place’! Getting all ingredients ready before cooking.
I forget the Sichuan peppercorns 😬
The tofu sit in a hot, salted water.
Let’s cook!
Stir fry the aromatic ingredients (garlic, ginger, chili, Sichuan peppercorns) until fragrant.
Don’t overcooked /burnt it.
Add in mushrooms, stir for 30 seconds
Add in Doubanjiang
Then, gently strain out the tofu into the pan
Throw in spring onion
Immediately pour in the sauce (mixed water with vegetable bouillon, soy sauce, pepper, sugar, cornflour)
Gently stir and mix for 3 minutes, let the magic happen 🧚‍♀️
Voila! 🤩
Serve it with hot steamed rice 🍛
Delicious comforting mapo tofu 🥰
Tobias had 3 bowls 😁

2 Replies to “SIMPLE VEGAN MAPO TOFU”

  1. Looking forward to try this recipe. I LOVE Mapo Doufu 😋 – if I ever get to cook it- Amelie is still asking me to re-do your rice recipe 😉
    Often think of you two 💌
    My heart is with you,
    Love
    Esther

    1. Nihao Esther,
      You must try this mapo tofu, 非常好吃😋
      Can you get the Sichuan peppercorns and Doubanjiang? If not, next time I’ll bring them when I visit you 😁. There’s a big asian supermarket in Karlsruhe 👍.
      Take care, stay warm 🤗
      Titien

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