Authentic Sichuan Mapo Tofu Recipe: 13 Easy Step-by-Step Instructions
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I may not look it, but I am a certified Sichuan Master Chef. Well…junior master chef…in training. Okay, I took ONE cooking class – BUT it was led by an actual Sichuan Master Chef and I got a signed certificate and everything. In any case, that day I learned how to prepare some super tasty and traditional Sichuan cuisine! And today, I’m going to share it with all of you! I’ve already published a blog post with an authentic Kung Pao chicken recipe, so now I’m going to dive into an easy Mapo Tofu recipe!
My Credentials
So why should you take MY word for what makes a great mapo tofu recipe?
- I’m not Chinese
- I start a lot of fires
For the most part, the first two reasons are enough to stop reading. But again, for two specific dishes, I was personally trained by a Sichuan MASTER CHEF.
If you don’t know much about chef hierarchy, that’s pretty darn high. The Sichuan province of China is KNOWN for their cuisine.
Well. And their pandas, but I digress.
In fact, the city of Chengdu in Sichuan province is one of thirty-six cities IN THE ENTIRE WORLD designated as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Along with other criteria, that means that Chengdu possesses a vibrant gastronomy community with numerous traditional restaurants, with chefs that STILL use traditional cooking methods. The city must also promote of nutrition in educational institutions and inclusion of biodiversity conservation programs in cooking schools curricula.
Chengdu has just such a cooking school: The Chuancais Museum of Sichuan Cuisine. This is where I learned to be a (junior) Sichuan Master Chef. For two specific dishes.
Mapo Tofu Recipe: Ingredients
In terms of the quantities, my recipe is written in grams (#metricsystem), but for American chefs, I’ve roughlyyyy translated it into ounces. But like, in my one cooking class in middle school, I FAILED the conversions test soo…
Cooking time: ~30 minutes
200g/7oz bean curd (soft tofu)
10g/0.35oz stir-fried beef mince
5g/0.2oz baby leeks
27g/0.9fl oz cooking oil
Seasonings
2 tablespoons Pixian chili bean paste
5g/0.2oz ginger
5g/0.2oz garlic
(to taste) Sichuan pepper powder
2g/0.1oz ground chilies
2g/0.1oz fermented soy beans
10g/0.35oz starch
soy sauce
water
salt
Mapo Tofu Recipe: Methods
Following this authentic Mapo Tofu recipe is super easy. Thankfully. Hahahah. In less than 10 steps, you’ll be done!
– Prepping the Mapo Tofu recipe –
- Heat 8 tablespoons of water in a wok. Turn on a gas stove with max fire/heat, then add and stir in 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Cut the bean curd/tofu into 3 cuts. Move them to the hot salty water until boiling.
- Smash the ginger and garlic into pieces (idk why this makes me think of the Hulk). Cut the baby leeks into small sections.
- Remove the tofu cubes from the boiling water with a ladle to ensure there is no water. Place tofu in bowl and clean the wok.
– Putting it all Together –
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok, then turn the heat down to medium.
6. Add 2 full tablespoons of Pixian chili bean paste and stir-fry until the oil is a rich red color.
7. One-by-one, add the fermented soy bean, ginger, garlic, and ground chilies. Stir-fry one-by-one until they become fragrant.
8. Pour in 3 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon soy sauce, stir well.
9. Add tofu back into the wok, mixing in gently by pushing the tofu from the edges to the center of the wok to avoid breaking the bean curd.
10. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the starch bowl, mixing. While the soup in the wok is boiling, add 1 spoon of starch-water mixture.
11. Gently add the stir-fried beef mince and baby leeks. Sprinkle the remaining starch-water in the wok, mixing well.
12. When the soup has thickened enough to cling glossily to the meat and tofu, turn off the stove.
13. Place contents of wok into a bowl. Garnish with ground Sichuan pepper and serve.
Mapo Tofu Recipe: Feast Time!
Boom! You just finished working through the whole mapo tofu recipe! You have a nice glistening bowl of mapo tofu and now, what do you eat with it? Well, I’m not a professional chef, but as a side I also had kung pao chicken, rice, a little bit of soup, and some dumplings. A side of cucumber salad lightly tossed in a garlic oil or sauce would have been perfect too. Fruit made a great dessert after because the fresh sweetness of fruit balanced out the spice and strong flavor of the dish.
History of Mapo Tofu
I initially thought of putting this part of the blog post first, but I know y’all probably aren’t looking for the history of the mapo tofu recipe when you click on this post. But yanno what? You’re gonna get it anyway haha.
Much like Kung Pao chicken, Mapo Tofu (or Mapo doufu) originated from the Sichuan province. It can actually be traced back to a singular restaurant run by a couple in Chengdu, Chen Xingsheng Restaurant in the north of the city. And err…the meaning behind the name is not so pleasant.
In fact, “mapo” came from Mrs. Chen, who had marks on her face. The “ma” part means “pock” (as in pock-marked), and “po” means elderly woman. Chen Mapo, as she came to be known in town, had a unique way of preparing tofu that was popular because of its pleasant smell, look, and most importantly taste. In 1909, they changed the restaurant name to Chen Mapo Tofu Restaurant after their most popular dish.
In fact, it was listed as one of the most popular restaurants in Chengdu during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)! Due to its flavor AND affordability, it became a staple in Chinese cuisine.
Mapo Tofu Recipe: Conclusion
Annddd that’s it! Hopefully you enjoyed this little Mapo Tofu recipe and are excited to attempt making it yourself! I don’t cook a lot, but rehashing this recipe made me want to break out my utensils and turn on the stove for the first time this year.
However, if you’re in Chengdu, China, I definitely recommend learning from the Master Chefs themselves! Plus, you’ll get a cool little certificate with your name on it haha. Or, you can even sign up for a night time food crawl and explore all the best street restaurants!
Have you ever made Mapo Tofu? Let me know in the comments below!
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