Mapo Tofu

Name: Mapo Tofu
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 600 g soft (silken or medium-soft) tofu, cut into 2 cm cubes — the texture is part of the dish, do not use firm tofu; 200 g ground pork (~20% fat — the small amount adds umami without dominating); 3 tbsp neutral oil (rapeseed or peanut); 3 tbsp Pixian doubanjiang (Sichuan broad-bean chili paste) — the SOUL of the dish, do not skip or substitute; 1 tbsp douchi (fermented black beans), rinsed and roughly chopped; 2 tsp Sichuan chili bean paste (la doubanjiang) OR 1 tsp Korean gochujang as substitute; 4 garlic cloves, finely minced; 4 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated; 6 spring onions: the white parts finely chopped for cooking + the green tops cut diagonally for garnish (keep separate); 1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce (laochou); 1 tsp granulated sugar; 300 ml hot unsalted chicken stock or water; 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (huajiao), toasted in a dry pan 60 sec and crushed in a mortar; 1.5 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 3 tbsp cold water for the final slurry; 2 tsp chili oil (la yu) for finishing; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil for the last drizzle; To serve: 320 g (1.6 cups dry) cooked jasmine rice or short-grain rice

Mapo tofu is an emblematic dish of Sichuan cuisine — silken tofu cubes cooked in an intense red sauce of fermented bean paste (doubanjiang), chili oil, and minced pork. The characteristic numbing quality of Sichuan pepper and the heat of chili peppers create the vibrant ma-la sensation: numbing and spicy simultaneously. The name roughly translates as tofu of the pockmarked old woman, referencing a culinary legend. The dish emerged in Chengdu during the Qing dynasty and spread throughout China and Asia. It is quick to prepare, intensely flavored, and deeply satisfying — the essence of popular Sichuan street cooking.

Total time40m

Active time30m

Servings4

DifficultyEasy

Cost$

Add to my meal plan

❤️

Rich in protein

Filling and nutritious

❄️

Can be frozen

Great for meal prep

🫙

Fermented

Contains fermented ingredients

⭐

Traditional recipe

Authentic taste

Ingredients 4 servings

600 g soft (silken or medium-soft) tofu, cut into 2 cm cubes — the texture is part of the dish, do not use firm tofu
200 g ground pork (~20% fat — the small amount adds umami without dominating)
3 tbsp neutral oil (rapeseed or peanut)
3 tbsp Pixian doubanjiang (Sichuan broad-bean chili paste) — the SOUL of the dish, do not skip or substitute
1 tbsp douchi (fermented black beans), rinsed and roughly chopped
2 tsp Sichuan chili bean paste (la doubanjiang) OR 1 tsp Korean gochujang as substitute
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
6 spring onions: the white parts finely chopped for cooking + the green tops cut diagonally for garnish (keep separate)
1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce (laochou)
1 tsp granulated sugar
300 ml hot unsalted chicken stock or water
2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (huajiao), toasted in a dry pan 60 sec and crushed in a mortar
1.5 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 3 tbsp cold water for the final slurry
2 tsp chili oil (la yu) for finishing
1 tsp toasted sesame oil for the last drizzle
To serve: 320 g (1.6 cups dry) cooked jasmine rice or short-grain rice

How to make it

1PREP THE TOFU: bring a small pot of water with 1 tsp salt to a gentle simmer (not boil); slip the 2 cm tofu cubes in carefully and let them warm 2 minutes — this firms the surface so they hold their shape in the sauce; drain gently and set aside in the warm pot off the heat.
2TOAST SICHUAN PEPPERCORNS: in a dry pan over medium heat, toast 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns 60 seconds until intensely fragrant; tip into a mortar and crush coarsely; set aside.
3RENDER THE PORK: heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat; add 200 g ground pork and break it apart with a spatula; stir-fry 4–5 minutes until the pork is no longer pink and the small bits are crispy and golden brown — the texture difference between crisp pork and soft tofu is essential.
4BLOOM THE DOUBANJIANG: push the pork to the side of the pan and add 1 tbsp more oil to the empty space; add 3 tbsp doubanjiang to the oil and stir 60–90 seconds until the oil turns deep red — this oil-frying releases the colour and umami of the paste; stir into the pork; add chopped douchi + minced garlic + grated ginger + 2 tsp la doubanjiang (or gochujang) and stir-fry 60 seconds until intensely aromatic.
5LIQUID: pour in 300 ml hot stock + 1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce + 1 tsp sugar; bring to a simmer.
6ADD THE TOFU: slide the warm tofu cubes gently into the simmering sauce; do NOT stir — use the back of a ladle to push them under, then shake the pan gently to settle; simmer 4–5 minutes, basting the tops of the tofu with sauce occasionally, so the cubes absorb flavour without breaking.
7THICKEN: stir the cornstarch slurry one more time and pour HALF into the sauce, then shake the pan and let it simmer 30 seconds; the sauce will turn glossy and start to coat the tofu; if still thin, add the rest of the slurry; the finished sauce should cling lightly to the tofu, not be soupy.
8FINISH AND SERVE: off the heat, drizzle 2 tsp chili oil + 1 tsp toasted sesame oil over the surface and scatter the green spring-onion tops + crushed Sichuan peppercorns; do NOT stir — the peppercorns must hit your tongue undiluted for the ma (numbing) sensation; serve immediately with hot jasmine rice; each bite: rice + tofu + sauce + peppercorn = the full ma-la experience.