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Per serving
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- 1
Toast the chilies
Heat your wok or a small saucepan over low heat. Add half the oil (¼ cup) and throw in the fresh Thai bird chili, thinly sliced, and the dried chilies, roughly chopped. Stir occasionally and heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes — keep the heat low so they don't burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
- 2
Cook the aromatics and pork
Heat the remaining ¼ cup of oil in your wok over medium heat. Add the ginger, finely minced, and fry for 1 minute. Add the garlic, finely minced, and fry another minute. Turn the heat to high and add the ground pork, breaking it up and cooking it through. Stir in the finely ground Sichuan peppercorns and cook for 15–30 seconds — watch them carefully, as they'll turn bitter if they burn.
- 3
Build the sauce
Add the doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste) to the wok and stir well — the color will deepen to a gorgeous brick red. Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Let everything simmer for a minute. While it simmers, whisk the cornstarch into the water in a small bowl to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the wok and stir until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency. If it gets too thick, splash in a little extra water.
- 4
Add the tofu and finish
Pour in the chili oil from Step 1 — peppers and all — and stir it into the sauce. Gently add the tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes, and fold it in carefully to keep the cubes intact. Let everything cook together for 3–5 minutes. Add the sesame oil, sugar, and scallion, finely chopped, and stir just until the scallion wilts.
- 5
Serve
Dish up immediately over steamed rice. Finish with a sprinkle of extra ground Sichuan peppercorns on top for more of that numbing mala kick.
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Sichuan Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
Created by: SpiceRouteCooks
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 fresh Thai bird chili pepper
- 6 dried red chilies
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 3 tbsp ginger
- 3 tbsp garlic
- 8 oz ground pork
- 1 tbsp doubanjiang
- 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 lb silken tofu
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 scallion
Instructions
- Toast the chiliesHeat your wok or a small saucepan over low heat. Add half the oil (¼ cup) and throw in the fresh Thai bird chili, thinly sliced, and the dried chilies, roughly chopped. Stir occasionally and heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes — keep the heat low so they don't burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the aromatics and porkHeat the remaining ¼ cup of oil in your wok over medium heat. Add the ginger, finely minced, and fry for 1 minute. Add the garlic, finely minced, and fry another minute. Turn the heat to high and add the ground pork, breaking it up and cooking it through. Stir in the finely ground Sichuan peppercorns and cook for 15–30 seconds — watch them carefully, as they'll turn bitter if they burn.
- Build the sauceAdd the doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste) to the wok and stir well — the color will deepen to a gorgeous brick red. Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Let everything simmer for a minute. While it simmers, whisk the cornstarch into the water in a small bowl to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the wok and stir until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency. If it gets too thick, splash in a little extra water.
- Add the tofu and finishPour in the chili oil from Step 1 — peppers and all — and stir it into the sauce. Gently add the tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes, and fold it in carefully to keep the cubes intact. Let everything cook together for 3–5 minutes. Add the sesame oil, sugar, and scallion, finely chopped, and stir just until the scallion wilts.
- ServeDish up immediately over steamed rice. Finish with a sprinkle of extra ground Sichuan peppercorns on top for more of that numbing mala kick.