The dish to eat in Chengdu · China

Mapo tofu

Name: Mapo tofu
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 with rice
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) soft or silken-firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes; 1 tsp kosher salt, for the tofu water; 3 tbsp neutral oil; 4 oz (115 g) ground beef (or pork); 2 1/2 tbsp Pixian doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste), chopped if chunky; 1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped; 1 to 2 tbsp Sichuan chili flakes or ground chili; 3 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped; 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock or water; 1 tsp light soy sauce and 1/2 tsp sugar; 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp cold water; 1 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground; 3 scallions, green parts thinly sliced; Steamed white rice, to serve

Photo: NeoBatfreak, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

Soft tofu in a fiery, numbing sauce of chili bean paste, ground beef and Sichuan pepper.

Created in a Chengdu restaurant in the 1860s, mapo tofu is the whole Sichuan palate in a bowl: ma (numbing), la (hot), and silky tofu that cools it all down.

Where to eat it Cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in Chengdu

Chen Mapo Tofu
Qinghua Road (and other branches)
Order: Mapo tofu with a bowl of rice, plus twice-cooked pork
The restaurant descended from the original 19th-century shop; listed by Michelin.
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Ming Ting
Waicaojia Alley, Yijiefang
Order: Mapo tofu, including the brave version with pig's brain
A loud, local fly restaurant (cang ying guan) beloved for punchy home cooking.
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Shang Palace
Shangri-La Hotel, Binjiang East Road
Order: Mapo tofu and the dan dan noodles
A hotel dining room that does a rich, refined version for a calmer meal.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best mapo tofu in Chengdu, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: Mapo tofu

Serves 4 with riceTime 30 min

Everything happens fast, so line up the ingredients first. Pixian chili bean paste (doubanjiang) and freshly ground Sichuan pepper are what make it taste like Chengdu.

Pans and tools

Wok or large skillet
Small saucepan for the tofu
Spice grinder or mortar

You’ll need

1 lb (450 g) soft or silken-firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes
1 tsp kosher salt, for the tofu water
3 tbsp neutral oil
4 oz (115 g) ground beef (or pork)
2 1/2 tbsp Pixian doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste), chopped if chunky
1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped
1 to 2 tbsp Sichuan chili flakes or ground chili
3 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock or water
1 tsp light soy sauce and 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp cold water
1 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
3 scallions, green parts thinly sliced
Steamed white rice, to serve

Steps

Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant, then grind them fine.
Bring a pot of water to a simmer with the salt. Slide in the tofu, simmer gently 2 minutes to firm it and season it, then drain carefully.
Heat a wok over high heat, add the oil, then the beef. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and a little crisp.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the doubanjiang and fry 1 minute, stirring, until the oil turns deep red. Add the black beans, chili flakes, garlic and ginger and fry 30 seconds more.
Pour in the stock, soy sauce and sugar and bring to a simmer. Slide in the tofu and gently push it around with the back of a spatula (don't stir, or it breaks). Simmer 4 to 5 minutes so the tofu soaks up the sauce.
Stir the cornstarch slurry and add it in two or three additions, nudging the tofu, until the sauce turns glossy and clings to it.
Slide onto a plate, scatter with half the ground Sichuan pepper and the scallions. Serve with rice and the rest of the pepper at the table.

Chef’s tips

Use red-brown Pixian doubanjiang (Sichuan markets or online); generic chili bean sauce is much milder.

Freshly ground Sichuan pepper should make your lips tingle; old pepper doesn't.

For a vegetarian version, use shiitake mushrooms, chopped fine, instead of the beef.

Contains: Soy, wheat.

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