Magnificent News: Eat Voraciously: Mighty mighty mapo

Read online

Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here.

Mighty mighty mapo

I didn't grow up eating mapo tofu — or any tofu — but I wish I had!

If you've never had it, you're in for a treat. It's what I think we should have for dinner tonight.

Traditionally, in Sichuan, it's a bowl of silken tofu turned rouge after simmering in a sauce of ground meat (pork or beef), fermented bean paste, chile oil and a generous amount of mind- and tongue-numbing Sichuan peppercorns.

This variation, which Becky Krystal brought to The Post a few years ago, is adapted from one written by cookbook author Diana Kuan, who's also behind the website Cinnamon Society. It omits the beef and features rehydrated and fried shiitake mushrooms, which add depth and a bit of chew. The mushroom soaking water turns into the base of the sauce.

As Becky wrote, it's so good that "you won't be able to stop eating, regardless of how tingly your tongue becomes."

Today's recipe

Photos by Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post; food styling by Bonnie S. Benwick/The Washington Post

Vegetarian Mapo Tofu

There are a few substitutions within the recipe, below, but otherwise I suggest you try this dish as-written the first time you make it. Decrease the amount of chile oil for a milder flavor, or add more if you like the heat! Then, adjust the wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar to your liking.

Where to Buy: Black bean sauce, which may be labeled as garlic black bean sauce, is available at well-stocked supermarkets. Chili bean paste (or sauce) and Sichuan peppercorns are available at Asian markets or online. For the best flavor, grind the peppercorns just before you use them.

Want to save this recipe? View it on Voraciously here and click the bookmark icon below the serving size at the top of the page to add it to your Reading List.

For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder.

Servings: 4 to 6
Total time: 50 mins

Ingredients

1 ounce (about 12) dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons chili bean paste
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine; may substitute dry sherry)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper, or more as needed
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons black bean sauce
3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, white and green parts separated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger root, minced (1 teaspoon)
1 block tofu (soft, medium or firm; about 1 pound), drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Steps

1. Combine the shiitake mushrooms and cup of warm water in a mixing bowl. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes, then lift out the mushrooms and transfer to a cutting board, squeezing as much moisture out of them as you can back into the bowl. Reserve the soaking water, straining it through a fine sieve if it has grit or dirt. Discard the stems, then finely chop the shiitake mushroom caps.

2. Add the chili bean paste, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and Sichuan pepper (to taste) to the bowl of mushroom soaking water, stirring to incorporate. This will be your sauce.

3. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. It is hot enough when a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact.

4. Add the peanut or vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Add the mushrooms; stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the mushrooms are crispy. Reduce the heat to medium; add the black bean sauce, white parts of the scallions, garlic and ginger; stir-fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

5. Pour in the mushroom-mixture sauce; once the liquid starts to boil, reduce to a gentle bubbling over medium-low heat. The liquid in the pan should now be a nice red color. Gently add the tofu cubes, being careful to not move them around too much so they don't break up. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes so the tofu absorbs the sauce. You can spoon some of the sauce over the tofu cubes to help better coat them.

6. Carefully push the tofu to the sides and create a small well at the center of the pan. Stir in the cornstarch mixture there. Cook for another minute, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.

7. Transfer to a deep plate or wide bowl, sprinkle the scallion greens on top with additional Sichuan pepper as needed, and serve hot.

Adapted from a recipe by Diana Kuan at cinnamonsociety.com. Tested by Becky Krystal.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 140; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 700 mg; Carbohydrates: 10 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 2 g; Protein: 4 g.

📣 All your cooking questions, answered: Today at noon ET, my colleagues Aaron Hutcherson and Becky Krystal will be answering cooking questions from readers just like you in our weekly Voraciously Q&A. Equipment advice, technique tips, ingredient swaps, you name it! You can submit a question now here, then join the chat to follow along when it goes live at noon today — and every Wednesday. 📣