Ma-po Dou-fu - Sichuan Hot and Spicy Tofu

Ma-po Dou-fu - Sichuan Hot and Spicy Tofu

To honor this dish's greatness, make it very, very hot. It's eaten in China by each diner scooping a spoonful onto their rice and using the same spoon to eat the well sauced custard. Baby peas are not typical but do make a nice addition. Serve with white rice.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Brunch, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese, Sichuan, Western China

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 35

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Wok with scoop
Cups

Ingredients

1 lb Tofu, firm
¼ lb Bacon slices, cut crosswise into ⅛-inch slices (Sub: ground pork, turkey, or beef)
5 tbsp Ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp Garlic, minced
¼ cup Scallion, cut in ¼-inch slices
2 tbsp Hot bean sauce (doubanjiang)
1 tbsp Red chili oil (optional)
1 cup Chicken stock
2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tbsp Soy sauce
½ cup Frozen baby peas
¼ cup Vegetable oil
1 tbsp Sesame oil

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Instructions

Prep - Cut tofu blocks into ½-inch cubes. If they seem too soft, boil water and boil tofu cubes until they begin to float, 2-3 minutes. Drain.
Combine seasonings in a cup by dissolving cornstarch in water and then mixing in soy sauce, and rice wine. Combine chicken broth in another cup with peas. Combine ginger and garlic in another bowl. Combine hot bean paste and chili oil (if using) in a small bowl.
Cook - Heat oil in a wok until smoking hot. Add meat and cook until it is broken up and a browned. Stir in hot bean sauce/chili oil, then ginger and garlic. Stir until red sauce turns the ginger and meat red. Add chicken stock and peas. Lower heat to medium and gently stir in tofu cubes.
Just before the liquid has cooked away, about 5 minutes, stir seasonings and add to the wok along with the scallions and peas. Check for salt and stir until sauce gets thick and looks like custard.
Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle sesame oil over. Serve with individual bowls of rice and soup spoons to scoop ma-pa into rice and eat.

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