Mapo Tofu

Ingredients

• 500 g tofu (soft)
• 1 l water
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 tbsp neutral oil
• 200 g pork mince
• 3 tbsp chili bean sauce/ toban djan*
• 3 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine*
• 2 tbsp chili oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sichuan pepper (powder)
• 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
• 4 ½ tbsp chicken bouillon
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Method

1. Cut the tofu into cubes. Heat 1 l of water with ½ tablespoon of salt to the boiling point. Add the tofu, take off the heat and let it soak for 5–6 minutes (this is to add flavor and for it to become firmer).
2. Heat a frying pan or wok with 4 tablespoons of oil, and fry the pork mince until well browned. Add chili bean sauce and cook for 2 more minutes.
3. Finely chop the garlic. Add garlic, grated ginger and shaoxing wine and cook a little longer, until the alcohol has evaporated.
4. Add chilli oil, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar and stir well. (Psst: If you don't have rice vinegar, you can use regular vinegar)
5. Mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp of cold water. Add the chicken boullion and cornstarch slurry to the pan. Bring to the boil while stirring and simmer for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
6. Add the Sichuan pepper powder, tofu and sesame oil and mix gently.
7. Top with some finely chopped spring onions, and serve with boiled rice!
8. *Chili bean sauce (Toban djan) is a sauce made from chili and fermented beans. It is very tasty and can be used in many Asian dishes, especially in Szechuan cuisine. And in this dish it is absolutely essential. You can find it in Asian stores (I recommend the brand Lee Kum Kee) *If you don't have Shaoxing wine, it can be replaced with dry sherry or simply omitted.