Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1½in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
• 2 spring onions, white and green parts separated, all finely sliced
• 9oz pork mince
• 2 tbsp black bean chilli oil
• 2 tbsp chilli bean sauce (toban djan or doubanjiang)
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
• 1lb medium-firm tofu, drained, dried and cut into ¾in cubes
• chilli oil, to garnish
• freshly steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Mix the cornflour with 5½ Tbsp water in a small bowl and set the slurry aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over a medium heat and fry the crushed garlic and finely chopped ginger for 1 minute.
3. When the garlic and ginger look slightly translucent, add the white parts of the spring onions and fry for another minute.
4. Add the pork mince to the wok and fry it for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the black bean chilli oil and the chilli bean sauce and fry the mixture until crispy and fragrant.
6. Add the crushed Sichuan peppercorns, ground white pepper, caster sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, chicken bouillon powder and 2 cups water and bring the sauce to the boil.
7. Lower the heat, simmer the sauce for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the cornflour slurry and cook until the sauce thickens to your liking.
8. Add the drained tofu cubes and simmer them for a few minutes, mixing very gently so the cubes stay whole as they heat through.
9. Garnish the mapo tofu with the green parts of the spring onions and a drizzle of chilli oil and serve it with the steamed jasmine rice.

Prep: 30 min · Cook: 30 min

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data