Szechuan Mapo Tofu Recipe – Vegetarian

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Szechuan Mapo Tofu Recipe - Vegetarian
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Szechuan Mapo Tofu Recipe – Vegetarian

Recipe by Mudita BhageriaCourse: MainCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes

Mapo tofu is a famous Chinese dish and enjoys high popularity among not only Chinese people but also non chinese people world over. Authentic Szechuan style mapo tofu is one of the signature dishes of Szechuan cuisine. It is spicy, numbing, hot and aromatic and served with a bowl of steamed rice. 
Personally, I like to cook this dish in winter at home. This is the perfect recipe for people who are vegan. It does not take much time to make this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 16 oz silken tofu (Firm or Medium Firm)

  • 1 cup mushrooms – sliced

  • ½  tbsp. sesame oil

  • 1 ½  tbsp. Doubanjiang – roughly chopped –  (Heart of szechuan preparations – find in any asian store)

  • 1/2 tbsp. fermented soya or black beans (optional) – roughly chopped  (find in any asian super store)

  • 1 tbsp. pepper flakes or powder  – optional

  • 1/2 tsp. Salt or to taste

  • 1/2 tbsp. Szechuan pepper (find in any asian super store)

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • Vegetable broth (Alternate Water) – 2 cups

  • 2 tbsp. cooking oil

  • 2 onions – finely chopped

  • 4 garlic greens or scallion greens – finely chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves – finely chopped

  • 1 inch ginger – finely minced (around 1 tablespoon)

  • 1 tsp. sugar – optional for reducing the spiciness

  • Water Starch (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 ½ tablespoon water)

  • Steamed rice for serving.

Directions

  • Add a small pinch of salt and sesame oil to mushroom. Mix well and set aside.
  • Heat Szechan pepper on low heat till you smell pepper aroma. Take out the peppers and grind.
  • Cut tofu into square cubes (around 1.5 cms). Bring 4 cups of  water to a boil and then add a pinch of salt. Slide the tofu in water and cook for 1 minute. Move out and drain.
  • Heat up around 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok, add mushrooms and cook till tender. Transfer out mushrooms and leave the oil in.
  • Fry doubanjiang (Add additional oil if required) for 1 minute over slow fire and then add garlic, onions, ginger and fermented beans to cook for 30 seconds until aroma comes out. Add in pepper flakes.
  • Add vegetable broth to the seasonings and bring to boil over high fire. Gently slide-in the tofu cubes. Add soy sauce and mushrooms Slow the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. 
  • Stir the water starch and then pour into the simmering pot. Cook for a couple of minutes.  Add pinch of salt if not salty enough. Pinch of sugar can be added to make it milder. 
  • Transfer out when almost all the seasonings stick to tofu cubes. Sprinkle Szechuan peppercorn powder (to taste) and add chopped garlic greens.
  • Serve immediately with steamed rice..

Notes