How to Make Ma Po Tofu - Spicy Szechuan Bean Curd

Bean paste gives this easy meatless dish a rich flavor. Make it at home and it's as spicy or as mild as you like it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 pound soft tofu
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon hot bean sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow bean sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped scallions

1. Mix cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water until smooth and set aside.

2. Mix water, sugar, sake and soy sauce and set aside.

3. Drain tofu and cut into small cubes.

4. Heat oil in a frying pan. Saute ginger and garlic until they begin to soften and get fragrant.

5. Add bean pastes and saute for a minute.

6. Add water mixture and cook for a couple of minutes, till simmering.

7. Add cornstarch mixture, stirring vigorously so it doesn't lump up.

8. When the sauce begins to thicken, add the bean curd and cook for about five minutes until hot.

9. Garnish with scallions and sesame oil and serve with rice.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have sake, you can substitute mirin. This is a Japanese sweet rice cooking wine that is available in the ethnic section of many supermarkets. If you use this instead, leave out the sugar.
• For an inauthentic but convenient lazy one-dish meal, saute some shredded Chinese cabbage in a separate pan and then toss with the finished tofu dish.
• Chinese condiments don't seem to be labeled very consistently. If you can't find 'yellow bean paste,' you can also use what's called 'bean paste' that's light brown in color. What you are looking for is a bean paste that is not spicy and not made from black beans.