Classics · Asian

Mapo
Tofu

Mapo Tofu
Time
25'
Diff.
medium
Kcal
480
/ serving
Servings
4
Gather 15 ingredients before cooking
Scale
Units
01 You'll need check when you have it
02 To finish last minute: ~60 min window
Step 01 of 08

Start the rice

300 g

Cook jasmine rice (300 g) according to the package. It should be ready around the time the sauce is done.

Step 02 of 08

Cut the tofu

400 g

Cut plain tofu (400 g) into roughly 2 cm cubes. Drop the cubes into a bowl of hot, lightly salted water and leave them there until needed.

Tip
Hot water pre-warms the tofu and lowers the risk of it breaking apart in the sauce. An old Chinese trick.
Step 03 of 08

Prep the aromatics

4 szt
20 g
3 szt

Finely chop garlic cloves (4 szt) and peeled fresh ginger (20 g). Slice spring onion (3 szt) into thin rings — keep the white parts separate from the green.

Step 04 of 08

Brown the pork

3 łyżka
250 g

Heat rapeseed oil (3 łyżka) in a 28 cm pan over high heat. Add minced pork (250 g) and fry for about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula. The meat should brown and the fat should render.

Step 05 of 08

Bloom the paste and aromatics

2 łyżka
1 łyżeczka
4 szt
20 g
3 szt

Lower heat to medium. Add chili paste (e.g. sambal oelek) (2 łyżka) and chili flakes (1 łyżeczka), fry for 1 minute, stirring — the oil should turn red. Add garlic cloves (4 szt), fresh ginger (20 g) and the white parts of spring onion (3 szt). Fry for another 30 seconds.

Tip
Frying the chili paste in oil is the key to flavour — it releases colour and aroma. Don't skip this step.
Step 06 of 08

Add the sauce and tofu

250 ml
2 łyżka
1 łyżeczka
400 g

Pour in chicken broth (250 ml), soy sauce (2 łyżka) and add sugar (1 łyżeczka). Bring to a boil. Drain plain tofu (400 g) and gently slide the cubes into the sauce. Simmer over medium heat for 4 minutes — don't stir with a spoon, just gently shake the pan so the tofu stays intact.

Step 07 of 08

Thicken the sauce

1 łyżka
3 łyżka

Mix potato starch (1 łyżka) with water (for starch) (3 łyżka) into a smooth slurry. Pour slowly into the sauce while gently swirling the pan. The sauce will thicken in seconds — it should cling to the tofu, not be watery.

Tip
Mix the potato starch with cold water right before using — otherwise it will clump in the hot sauce.
Step 08 of 08

Finish and serve

1 łyżeczka
3 szt
300 g

Take off the heat. Drizzle with sesame oil (1 łyżeczka) and sprinkle with the green parts of spring onion (3 szt). Serve immediately with jasmine rice (300 g).

Mapo Tofu
Bon appétit

How did it turn out?

Enjoy — now it's a matter of patience and a good table.

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