Mapo Tofu
Mapo Tofu, minced shiitake mushrooms in a spicy sauce made with fermented black beans and fermented broad bean paste, along with hot red pepper and Sichuan pepper!
Mapo tofu is a popular Chinese dish from Sichuan family. It consists of soft smooth tofu set in a spicy sauce. There is a coating of a thin, oily, bright red gravy, based on fermented broad bean chili paste and fermented black beans, along with minced meat. However, this dish uses minced shiitake mushrooms instead of meat to get that meaty texture and still the authentic spicy, tongue numbing flavors!
This dish is a perfect vegan, gluten free, plant-based meal that is full of flavors and nutrients! It is loaded with spicy, pungent, appetizing flavors that pairs so well with steamed white jasmine rice. If you love spicy Chinese food with tongue numbing Sichuan flavors and mushrooms, this dish is for you! It is perfect for either sick days or those rainy, gloomy, cold days. Add this chili mushroom as a side to make a perfect Chinese feast!
Happy & Healthy Eating!
Chili Bean Sauce
Mapo Tofu
Ingredients
- ½ lb Soft Tofu
- 1 cup Minced Shiitake Mushrooms save the stems for adding flavor to the broth
- 1 tsp Fermented Black Bean Paste
- 1½ tsp Fermented Spicy Broad bean Paste
- 1½ tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Grated Ginger
- 5 Dry Red Chilis
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Soy Sauce
- 1½ cup Vegetable Broth
- ½ tsp Finely Ground Sichuan Pepper
- 1 tsp Corn Starch
- 2 tbsp Chopped Scallions
- 2 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
Instructions
Prepare veg broth
- Wash shiitake mushrooms and remove the stems.
- Add clean mushroom stems to 1½ cup vegetable broth and bring the broth to boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- After simmering for 5 minutes, take it off the heat. Remove and discard the stems. Keep the broth aside.
Make chili oil
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and saute 5 dry red chilis on low heat till the chilis change colors to darker red or brown. Take it off the heat and let it cool down.
Make Mapo Tofu
- Heat 2 tbsp oil and saute ½ tsp of Finely Ground Sichuan Pepper for a minute or two on low heat, making sure it does not burn.
- Add minced garlic and grate ginger to the pan and saute on low/medium heat till the raw smell of garlic disappears.
- Add minced shiitake mushrooms tops and saute till all the moisture from mushroom disappears.
- Add Fermented Black Bean Paste and Fermented Spicy Broad bean Paste. Mix well. Cook it for a minute.
- Add prepared broth, soy sauce and sugar. Bring it to boil.
- Mix 1 tsp of cornstarch in 3 tsp of water. Mix well so there are no lumps in it.
- Once the sauce comes to boil, slowly add cornstarch mixture to it while stirring constantly.
- Let the sauce simmer on medium heat for 2-4 minutes.
- Add cubed soft tofu, and mix very carefully making sure the tofu does not break.
- Let it simmer on low/medium heat for 2-4 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and top it with 1 tsp of sesame oil, prepared dry chili oil along with the chilis.
- Garnish it with chopped cilantro and scallions. Serve it hot with steamed jasmine rice!
