Tofu has abundant nutrition and many cooking methods. It can be served as a cold dish, fried dish or soup. Mapo tofu is a common one of the various cooking methods featuring spicy-hot flavor which is a representative delicacy in Sichuan, China.

Ingredients of Cooking Mapo Tofu

Main Ingredients:

Seasonings:

30g soybean paste,
20g fermented soybeans,
2g salt, 2g chicken essence,
15g soy sauce,
10 cooking wine,
20g minced garlic,
300ml chicken broth,
30g peanut oil,
cornstarch

Other Ingredients:

How to Cook Mapo Tofu?

1. Cut the tofu into 1-inch chunks; place them in the salt solution for 15 mins’ soak, then fish out and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat to stir-fry the beef until brown; successively add soybean paste, fermented soybeans, minced garlic and cooking wine and stir-fry evenly.
3. Pour the broth in and bring to boil; add soy sauce and salt.
4. Add the tofu and boil for 3-5 mins, then add chicken essence.
5. Stir in dissolved cornstarch and cook until thickened.
6. Sprinkle with ground pepper, minced green onion, and caraway.
7. Ready to serve and enjoy.

Tips

1. You can crush the peeled garlic cloves first, then they can be minced easily.
2. Soak the tofu chunks in the salt-water, not in the boiled water to ensure it is tender and smooth.
3. The tofu prepared should not be too firm or too soft.
4. You can use minced pork for the minced meat.
5. The whole dry red pepper is also ok for hot taste. But reduce the soybean paste or red pepper if you are spicy flavor intolerant.