Mapo tofu is a Sichuan dish and it is one of my absolute favorite things to cook and eat. The name literally translates to “pockmarked old woman’s tofu,” which I love because the name itself tells you this dish has history.
My version uses soft tofu, ground meat or minced mushrooms if you want to keep it vegetarian, and a sauce built on a few things you’ll want to track down specifically. Pixian douban (look for “Sichuan broad bean sauce” with pixian douban in the ingredient list) is the backbone. Laoganma chili oil with black beans, not just any chili oil, Laoganma specifically. Sichuan pepper powder for that tingly, numbing heat that’s different from regular spice. Those three together are what make it taste like the real thing.
One step that makes a difference: blanch the tofu in salted boiling water for a couple of minutes before it goes in the sauce. It firms it up just enough that the cubes hold their shape when you’re swirling them around the pan instead of falling apart on you.
The whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes. Make more rice than you think you need. You will want it.
Recipe below.
