Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• pinch salt
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
• 1–2 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp crispy chilli oil
• 1–2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1-inch fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chilli bean paste
• 1 tbsp fermented black bean paste
• 14 oz. fresh firm tofu, drained and sliced into ½-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 7 fl oz cold vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp Sichuan preserved vegetables in chilli oil, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp cornflour, blended with 2 tbsp cold water
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• cooked jasmine rice
• 2 pinches ground toasted Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 spring onion, trimmed and finely sliced
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked and stems chopped
• drizzle chilli oil (optional)

Method

1. Smash the cucumber into large chunks with a rolling pin, scrape out the seeds, chop the bigger pieces roughly and salt them in a colander over a bowl for 30 minutes to drain.
2. Mix the coriander, soy sauce, crushed garlic, ginger, sesame oil, Chinese black vinegar, caster sugar and crispy chilli oil into a dressing and toss it through the drained cucumber when ready.
3. Heat a wok over high heat until smoking, swirl in the groundnut oil and stir-fry the garlic, ginger and red chilli for a few seconds, then add the chilli bean paste, black bean paste and tofu and toss for about 10 seconds.
4. Add the Shaoxing rice wine, light soy sauce, rice vinegar and vegetable stock and bring the mapo sauce to a simmer, stir in the Sichuan preserved vegetables and cornflour slurry and cook for a few minutes until thickened, seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. Serve the mapo tofu with the smashed cucumbers and cooked jasmine rice, garnished with ground Sichuan peppercorns, spring onion and coriander plus a drizzle of chilli oil if liked.

Prep: 1 h · Cook: 30 min

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data