Mapo tofu is one of the defining dishes of Sichuan cooking — silken tofu and ground pork in a sauce built on doubanjiang (fermented bean paste with chilli), enriched by the mouth-numbing heat of Sichuan peppercorns. The authentic version uses lard, which is what every Sichuan grandmother's version was cooked in before vegetable oil standardised Chinese restaurant cooking.
Mapo Tofu Recipe
Ingredients
- 400g silken or soft tofu, cut into 2cm cubes
- 200g ground pork (or beef)
- 2 tbsp pasture-raised lard
- 3 tbsp doubanjiang (Pixian doubanjiang if available)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted in a dry pan and ground
- 300ml chicken stock
- 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- Spring onion and extra ground Sichuan peppercorn to serve
Method
- Heat the lard in a wok over medium heat. Add the doubanjiang. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the lard turns deep red and the oil separates. This is the critical flavour-building step.
- Add the garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute.
- Add the ground pork. Break up and cook for 3 minutes until cooked through.
- Pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer.
- Very gently slide the tofu cubes into the wok. Stir as infrequently as possible — silken tofu breaks easily. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- Give the cornstarch mixture a stir and pour it into the wok. Gently stir once to distribute. The sauce will thicken in 30 seconds.
- Drizzle the sesame oil over the top. Scatter with ground Sichuan peppercorn and spring onion.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice.
What is doubanjiang?
Fermented broad bean paste with chilli — the defining ingredient of Sichuan cooking. The Pixian variety aged for 1+ years is considered superior. Available at Asian grocery stores and online. It contains no seed oils.
Is mapo tofu seed oil free?
Yes with lard. Restaurant mapo tofu almost universally uses canola or soybean oil.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes — omit the pork or substitute minced mushrooms, and use vegetable stock. The doubanjiang provides most of the savoury depth.
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