Main ingredients:
Tender tofu: 300g; Vegetable oil: 50ml; Minced pork with bean sprouts: 30g; Doubanjiang (broad bean paste): 30g.
Additional ingredients:
Ground Sichuan peppercorn: 8g; Ground chili pepper: 3g; Ginger: 10g; Garlic: 15g; Scallion: 10g; Dark soy sauce: 2ml; Light soy sauce: 3ml; Fermented soybean powder: 10g; Monosodium glutamate: 2g; Granulated sugar: 1g.
Taste: Other; Cooking method: Braising; Time required: 10 minutes; Difficulty: Normal.
Detailed steps for cooking Authentic Chen’s Mapo Tofu
Preparation: Cut the tofu into thumb-sized pieces. Finely chop the Doubanjiang. Finely chop the ginger and garlic into small pieces. Cut the scallion into small pieces. Mix the fermented soybean powder with water.
Boil enough water to cover the tofu. Add the tofu and blanch for a short time. Remove and set aside.
Heat up the oil in a cold wok. Add the ginger, garlic, and Doubanjiang and stir-fry until fragrant and red. Add the ground chili pepper and stir-fry briefly.
Add enough water to the wok (about 2/3 of the amount of tofu).
Add the blanched tofu, minced pork with bean sprouts, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, salt, and a little sugar. Braise until the tofu is fully flavored. Add monosodium glutamate and the fermented soybean powder mixture. Cook over high heat until the sauce thickens and the tofu is fully coated (the amount of sauce can be adjusted according to personal preference). PS: I used ready-made minced pork with bean sprouts for making hot and sour noodles. If you don’t have it, you can stir-fry some minced pork with bean sprouts in advance.
Remove from heat and serve. Sprinkle with a little ground Sichuan peppercorn and scallion.
