Sunday, 30 October 2011

Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)


Simmered Tofu in Spicy Bean Sauce

Mapo tofu (doufu) is a tofu and meat dish cooked in a spicy chilli bean sauce.  It is a popular dish in Sichuan (Szechuan) cuisine. Growing up, I really love this dish and I was delighted whenever my family ordered it. The dish packs a fiery savoury punch and we always needed more rice than usual to enjoy all of the spicy sauce. The sauce has a numbing and lip-stinging effect depending on how much Sichuan pepper is added, though the home cooked version is usually toned down. I never imagined that cooking this dish at home can be so cheap and easy. I have cooked this dish so often that I can now make it in under 15 minutes from preparation to end – definitely a good recipe to fall back on for busy days. If you like a localised version of Mapo Tofu without the dou ban jiang (豆瓣酱) and Sichuan pepper, do check out my simmered tofu with minced pork recipe. 

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