Spicy & Numbing Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐

Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐 is probably the most well known tofu dish in the world. While it originated from my hometown of Chengdu, Sichuan. I think variations of it have spread through out the world.

You might think that this is a dish best eaten in restaurants, but I would argue that with the right ingredients and techniques, you can make a plate of authentic Mapo Tofu right in your kitchen!

What should Mapo Tofu taste like?

There are 4 characteristic for an authentic and delicious Mapo Tofu:

1. “Ma” or 麻. It has to be sufficiently “ma” from the Sichuan peppercorns. The numbing, citrous-y flavours from the peppercorns is omnipresent in many Sichuan dishes, but even more so here.

2. “La” or 辣. It should be some what spicy, not over whelmingly so, but you need to balance out the “ma” of the Sichuan peppercorns. Of course, adjust to your personal tolerance…that why I put down chilli powder as optional.

3. Delicate or 嫩. Traditional Mapo Tofu is always made with soft, custard-like tofu, so that the texture of the cooked dish is tender and smooth. This is the preferred mouth feel for this dish.

4. Hot or 烫. This refers to the temperature of the dish when it is served. Mapo Tofu, like many other Chinese dishes, is best when eaten piping hot!

Which tofu to choose?

As mentioned above, try to pick a soft tofu that is smooth and jiggly. You want something that can hold its shape during cooking but melts on contact in your mouth.

Silken tofu- tofu that are not pressed, can also work. However, if handled too much, you run the risk of it falling apart completely during cooking. Likewise, lMedium firm tofu will also work, however, it should be pre-blanched in salted water before hand. Whichever tofu you pick though, these "Mala" 麻辣 - spicy & numbing flavours will always ensure that they taste amazing!

The meat and vegetables

Traditionally, small amounts of ground beef is used to add flavour as well as a textural contrast to the soft tofu. The focus is on the tofu, so the meat is used sparingly or not at all. Personally, I prefer small amounts of ground pork because the extra fattiness works well with the tofu.

Same goes for the vegetables. My recipe calls for Chinese chives, but you can easily substitute for garlic chives or scallions or nothing at all. These aromatic green vegetables bring colour and texture, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the tofu.

Essential ingredients

I’ve talked about the Fermented broad bean chilli paste Pixian DouBanJiang (郫县豆瓣) before. It’s used in many of my recipes and essential here as well. It's not just the spiciness that I’m after here but also for the umami depth of flavour that only fermented products can yield. Often considered the soul of Sichuan cuisine, Pixian DouBanJiang is present in so many dishes.

The other essential ingredient, in my opinion for Mapo Tofu is the Fermented black soy beans or Dou Chi (豆豉). I always use the dry version that’s preserved in salt. It’s got a earthy and complex flavour that is hard to replicate and as with the DouBanJiang, it can be found in many sauces, stir fries and braised dishes.

Finally, the Sichuan Peppercorns! 花椒. So so important here because it is the only thing that'll give you that mouth numbing flavour. Which can be kind of weird at first but addictive once you're accustom.

Do try to source the freshest, best quality peppercorns that you can. You can tell when they are good quality by the vibrant reddish colour, the pungent distinctive scent and the intact husks they come in. And of course, the fresher the peppercorns, the more powerful, so try it out first and adjust the amount used accordingly.