Mapo Tofu Recipe Ingredients by Tom Doorly

Ingredients 

• 1 block of beancurd, about 500g

• 4 spring onions (I use more, as many as I have to hand)

• 100ml groundnut oil or Olive Oil (I prefer to use olive oil)

• 150g minced beef (I usually use pork)

• 2 ½ tablespoons Sichuanese chilli bean paste (I tend to row back a bit on this, but it’s up to you)

• 2 teaspoons ground Sichuanese chillis (only for chilli fiends, as Fuchsia says: I throw in a few whole ones for a gentler effect)

• 250ml stock (I sometimes use miso – very multicultural!)

• 1 teaspoon white sugar (I skip this)

• 2 teaspoons light soya sauce

• Salt to taste (I find the dish salty enough without it)

• 3 tablespoons potato flour mixed with 4 tablespoons cold water (I use 2 of potato flour as I prefer a less thick texture)

• ½ teaspoon ground roasted Sichuan pepper (I use 1 teaspoon in the cooking and 1 to scatter over at the end

Steps 

Step 1: Cut the beancurd into 2cm cubes and soak in very hot water while you cook the rest. Get your oil very hot and then throw in the mince and cook quickly over a high heat until browned but not dry.

Step 2: Reduce the heat and add the chilli bean paste and stir until the oil is a rich red. Add the fermented beans and the chillis and stir-fry for 30 seconds to bring out the fragrance. I add the first of the Sichuanese pepper at this stage.

Step 3: Now add the stock and sir well, followed by the soaked and drained beancurd. Stir very gently as you don’t want the beancurd to break up. Add the sugar if you want to, and the soy sauce. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until the beancurd has absorbed the flavours.

Step 4: Now add the potato flour mixture, a little at a time until the sauce is glossy and clings to the beancurd. Add the spring onions, stir, and sprinkle over the rest of the Sichuanese pepper just before serving

Step 5: You can serve some steamed rice alongside but I prefer to use pak choi  or kailan, steamed until tender, then dressed with some roasted sesame oil and just a dash of rice vinegar. That way, the dish is as low carb as it is packed with savoury flavours and fabulous textures!