One of my most craved dished in the world!
Sichuan cuisine doesn’t whisper. It smolders. The dish hits you with heat and perfume — fermented bean paste, ground beef, and numbing peppercorns mingling into something that makes you sweat and grin at the same time. It’s peasant food turned national treasure, and no two cooks make it the same.
Suggested Equipment
- Carbon steel wok, Induction Wok or deep skillet
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Chinese ladle
- Rice cooker, Instapot
- Clay pot for serving
Notes on Ingredients
- Tofu (豆腐) – Use soft or medium-firm tofu, not silken. It should hold its shape while absorbing flavor. Chengdu cooks parboil tofu cubes briefly in salted water to firm them and remove the raw soybean taste.
- Ground beef or pork (牛/猪肉末) – Traditionally beef, though many home cooks use pork. Its fat carries the heat and chili oils.
- Doubanjiang (豆瓣酱) – The soul of the dish: fermented broad beans and chili from Pixian County. Deeply funky and essential.
- Douchi (豆豉) – Fermented black soybeans; adds a nutty, savory undertone.
- Garlic (蒜) and Ginger (姜) – The aromatic foundation.
- Sichuan peppercorns (花椒) – Toasted and ground to release that electric numbing flavor — the “má” in Mapo.
- Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒) – Adds depth and rounds out the saltiness.
- Stock (高汤) – Light chicken or vegetable stock to carry the sauce.
- Cornstarch slurry (水淀粉) – For gloss and gentle thickening.
- Scallions (葱) – Green tips add color and freshness at the end.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 block soft or medium tofu (400g), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 oz ground pork (or beef)
- 2 tablespoon Pixian doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)
- 1 tablespoon douchi (fermented black beans), rinsed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 cup light chicken stock
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1½ teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoon water
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu: Bring salted water to a gentle simmer. Add tofu cubes and cook 2–3 minutes to firm. Drain carefully.
- Toast the peppercorns: In a dry wok, toast Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant. Grind to powder. Set aside.
- Cook the aromatics: Heat oil in the wok. Add minced pork and stir-fry until it browns and renders fat. Add garlic, ginger, and chopped douchi. Stir until fragrant.
- Add the soul: Stir in doubanjiang and fry until the oil turns deep red — about 1 minute. This is where the flavor develops.
- Build the sauce: Pour in Shaoxing wine and stock, then soy sauce and sugar. Simmer 3–4 minutes.
- Add the tofu: Gently slide tofu cubes into the sauce. Don’t stir too much — just swirl the pan. Simmer another 5 minutes.
- Thicken & finish: Stir in cornstarch slurry until sauce glazes the tofu. Sprinkle ground Sichuan pepper and scallions over top.
- Serve immediately: Serve bubbling hot with steamed jasmine rice.
Chef’s Notes
- True Mapo flavor should balance six sensations: numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, tender, and fresh.
- Substitute mushroom mince for a stellar vegetarian version — the umami carries through beautifully.
- Add a small knob of chili crisp or roasted chili oil at plating for restaurant-style sheen.
Table Itinerary
- Cold sesame cucumber salad
- Sichuan dry-fried green beans (干煸四季豆)
- Jasmine or sticky rice
Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) – Authentic Sichuan Spicy Bean Curd
Soft tofu trembling under a deep red sauce — half fire, half velvet. It’s the kind of dish you crave late at night: savory, rich, and oddly calming once your lips stop tingling.
Ingredients
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 block soft or medium tofu 400g, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 oz ground pork or beef
- 2 tablespoon Pixian doubanjiang fermented chili bean paste
- 1 tablespoon douchi fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 cup light chicken stock
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1½ teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoon water
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
Instructions
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu: Bring salted water to a gentle simmer. Add tofu cubes and cook 2–3 minutes to firm. Drain carefully.
- Toast the peppercorns: In a dry wok, toast Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant. Grind to powder. Set aside.
- Cook the aromatics: Heat oil in the wok. Add minced pork and stir-fry until it browns and renders fat. Add garlic, ginger, and chopped douchi. Stir until fragrant.
- Add the soul: Stir in doubanjiang and fry until the oil turns deep red — about 1 minute. This is where the flavor develops.
- Build the sauce: Pour in Shaoxing wine and stock, then soy sauce and sugar. Simmer 3–4 minutes.
- Add the tofu: Gently slide tofu cubes into the sauce. Don’t stir too much — just swirl the pan. Simmer another 5 minutes.
- Thicken & finish: Stir in cornstarch slurry until sauce glazes the tofu. Sprinkle ground Sichuan pepper and scallions over top.
- Serve immediately: Serve bubbling hot with steamed jasmine rice.
Notes
Chef’s Notes
True Mapo flavor should balance six sensations: numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, tender, and fresh.
Substitute mushroom mince for a stellar vegetarian version — the umami carries through beautifully.
Add a small knob of chili crisp or roasted chili oil at plating for restaurant-style sheen.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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