Kuga’s Special Mapo Tofu
- Difficulty
- Total time
- 50 min
- Hands-on
- 50 min
- Cost
- ¥¥¥¥
- Servings
- 4
Equipmentoven, frying pan, pot, microwave
Tastespicy, light
Ingredients
- 1 block silken tofu
- 200 g ground pork
- 1 tsp grated garlic
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Japanese leek
- 200 ml chicken broth
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Sichuan pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp potato slurry (ratio of 1 tbsp potato starch to 1 tbsp water)
[A]
- 1 tbsp fermented black beans
- 1 tbsp sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang)
- 1 tbsp broad bean chili paste (doubanjiang)
- 1 tsp chili powder
Garnish
- Chili oil, to taste
- Diced green onions, to taste
Method
- 1
Wrap the block of tofu in a paper towel, place on a microwave-safe plate and microwave in a 600 watt microwave oven for 3 minutes. Pat with the paper towel to remove any excess water.
- 2
Once mostly cooled, cut the tofu block into ½ inch cubes. Mince the leek and the black beans.
- 3
Heat the sesame oil and grated garlic in a frying pan until fragrant. Add the ground pork and lightly brown. Then add the [A] ingredients in the order listed and brown thoroughly. Be careful not to let anything scorch.
- 4
Add the chicken broth and the tofu cubes in. Mix in the leek and let simmer for 3 minutes.
- 5
Mix in the shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- 6
Add the potato starch slurry to thicken, sprinkle with sichuan pepper and stir, and then pour everything into 4 bowls. Drizzle with chili oil and garnish with diced green onions on top and you’re done!
Food safety
- Cook minced meat through to 71 °C / 160 °F — no pink in the centre.