My family is Taiwanese, but my dad actually grew up mostly in Japan. As a result, we grew up eating a lot of Japanese-style mapo tofu. Once I had the original Szechuan spicy mapo tofu, I felt like I had been missing out on a whole other world of flavors! I really love the mild and savory-sweet flavor of Japanese-style mapo tofu, but also the spicy-warm and numbing sensation of the Szechuan style.
In this recipe, I combined my favorite aspects of the two versions of this iconic pork-and-tofu dish into one that I hope you’ll love too. It’s not too spicy despite how it looks, but if you don’t want it too spicy (or you don’t want the numbing sensation), you can sub the doubanjiang for a non-spicy version and leave out the Szechuan peppers.
Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐 Ingredients (4-6 servings):
– 8-10 cloves garlic, finely minced
– 2 knobs ginger (3 tbsp), finely minced
– 1 lb ground pork
– 14 oz soft / medium firm tofu
– 4-5 tbsp Lee Kum Kee chili bean sauce (doubanjiang 豆瓣醬)
– 1 tbsp Kikkoman low sodium soy sauce
– 1 tsp sesame oil
– 4 tbsp water
– 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
– 1 cup chicken broth
– 3 stalks chopped green onions
– Ground Szechuan peppers (optional, to taste)
Process:
1. Drain and cut tofu into 1-inch cubes on a plate.
2. Pour a tablespoon of oil on the pan to medium heat.
3. Cook the finely minced ginger and garlic for several minutes until fragrant, or garlic is starting to brown.
4. Add in the 1 lb ground pork, and break into tiny pieces in the pan with a spatula as it is cooking.
5. Add 4 tbsp of the chili bean sauce, 1 tbsp of the low sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, and 4 tbsp water. Stir well.
6. Add the cut and drained tofu cubes to the pan, and use scooping motions with a spatula to mix, keeping the tofu intact.
7. Add 1 cup of chicken broth, chopped scallions, and ground Szechuan peppers to taste once tofu is fully covered in the sauce. Mix, and bring this to a boil for 2-3 minutes.
8. Serve this over a bed of white rice. Enjoy!
Let me know what you think of my recipe down below.
Mel's Space 