[Chinese Recipes] Vegan Mapo Tofu

Mapo tofu is a spicy main dish originating from the Chinese province of Sichuan. We love authentic Chinese recipes, and this one is a must-try! Pair this vegan Mapo tofu with rice and sauteed vegetables for a healthy lunch or dinner. 

Mapo tofu is traditionally a dish from the Chinese province of Sichuan containing chili oils, fermented broad bean paste, a type of chili paste, fermented black beans, and ground pork. There are many variations of Mapo Tofu, with flavors adapted to suit local flare or dietary restrictions.

We wanted to leave out the pork to make our recipe vegan, and that led us to an amazing recipe by Lisa Lin, on her blog Healthy Nibbles. I love Chinese food and I want to make Chinese recipes for our blog with beautiful pictures, but I prefer just sharing and supporting Asian recipes written by various Asian food bloggers. So here, we tested out Lisa’s delicious mapo tofu recipe and I 10/10 recommend making it.



PREPARE THE SAUCE

The sauce doesn’t take long to make. First, heat the oil on medium-low with the doubanjiang. Then, add the black bean garlic sauce, aromatic spices, Sichuan peppercorn, and chili flakes. Finally, add the tapioca starch slurry and simmer the sauce for a few minutes.

I like to grind Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pestle so that they’re easier to consume. You can add a mixture of ground and whole peppercorns to the sauce if you like.

Usually, mapo tofu recipes use Chinese chili flakes. However, I like using Korean chili flakes (gochugaru) because of their brighter red hue. The gochugaru gives the sauce a nicer red color overall.

Tofu naturally releases a lot of liquid, which can make the sauce runny. That’s why you should add a tapioca starch slurry to thicken the sauce. You can also use cornstarch or potato starch to make the slurry. 

MIX THE TOFU AND SAUCE

After you add the heated tofu to the sauce, use a wok spatula (or any wide spatula) to mix the tofu and sauce. Be very careful when you do this. I usually fold the tofu into the sauce just once and then dish up the tofu.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for this Mapo Tofu Recipe. I’ve indicated what I substituted based on what I was able to find at the Asian Super Market here in Baton Rouge. 

• 1 Pound silken or soft tofu (I subbed for sprouted firm tofu)
• salt
• tapioca starch
• vegetable oil
• doubanjiang (I subbed this ingredient for Miso)
• black bean garlic sauce
• minced garlic
• ginger
• Sichuan peppercorns
• gochugaru (I subbed evenly for Gochujang red chili paste)
• sugar
• scallions
• sesame oil

Tips for Making Vegan Mapo Tofu

Simply put, I suggest following Lisa’s recipe directions exactly. Even with my substitutions, this recipe turned out flawless. I measured out all of my ingredients before I got started, and it helped a lot allowing me to just flow through the recipe.
What to Pair with Vegan Mapo Tofu

After photographing this beautiful entree, we paired this Mapo Tofu with chili garlic snow peas, jasmine rice, and a small side of fermented kimchi. 

Vegan Mapo Tofu (素食麻婆豆腐)
yield: SERVES 3 TO 4
prep time: 15 MINUTES
cook time: 15 MINUTES
total time: 30 MINUTES


Get ready for some serious spice! This vegan mapo tofu recipe is quite spicy. If you are not used to cooking with Sichuan peppercorns, start with 1 teaspoon of the peppercorns. Increase the amount of peppercorns if you want more spice. Another way to limit the spice is to leave the peppercorns whole instead of grinding them up. Serve the tofu with jasmine rice and my Chinese garlic cucumber salad for a complete meal. Roughly adapted from Fuchsia Dunlop.



Ingredients

• Tofu
• 1 pound silken or soft tofu (see note 1) 
• 8 cups water 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 
• Slurry
• 1 teaspoon tapioca starch (see note 2) 
• 1/2 cup water 
• Sauce
• 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil 
• 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons doubanjiang (depending on desired salt level, see note 3) 
• 1 tablespoon black bean garlic sauce 
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic 
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger 
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn, ground (see note 4) 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons gochugaru (see note 5) 
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar 
• 1 stalk of scallions, thinly sliced, dark green pieces separated from light green and white pieces 
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil 

Instructions

Prepare the Tofu

1. If you are using tofu that comes in a plastic container, drain the block of tofu and remove it from the package. Cut the tofu into 3/4-inch cubes. 
2. Add 8 cups of water and salt to a saucepan and bring it to boil. Remove the saucepan from heat.
3. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, carefully lower the tofu cubes into the hot water. Let the tofu sit in hot water as you prepare the sauce (see note 6).

Prepare the Slurry

1. Add the tapioca starch and 1/2 cup water to a small bowl and stir to combine. Set it aside.

Prepare the Sauce

1. Heat the canola oil in a wok over medium-low to low heat. You don’t want high heat to cook the sauce because the sauces and spices can burn. Add the doubanjiang to the wok and stir to combine with the oil. Heat the sauce for about 1 minute, until you can smell the aroma. If you are noticing that the doubanjiang is darkening really quickly, reduce the heat.
2. Next, add the black bean garlic sauce, garlic, and ginger. Stir for about 1 minute, until you can smell the garlic. Add the ground Sichuan peppercorn, gochugaru, and sugar. Stir to combine.
3. Give the tapioca starch and water a quick stir to break up the starch that has settled to the bottom of the bowl. Pour the slurry into the wok and mix with the rest of the sauce. Increase the heat slightly and let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes, until it bubbles and starts to thicken. Add the white and light green parts of the scallion and toss with the sauce.
4. Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to carefully transfer the tofu from the hot water to the wok. Make sure to drain as much water as possible. 
5. Carefully use a wok spatula (or any wide spatula) to fold the tofu into the sauce. Transfer the tofu and sauce to a serving bowl. 
6. Drizzle the sesame oil over the tofu. Garnish the bowl with the dark green parts of the scallion. Serve with jasmine rice. 

Notes

Some silken tofu comes in 14-ounce packages, which also works for this recipe.
You can also use cornstarch or potato starch. 

If doubanjiang is difficult for you to obtain, use a different chili sauce and add another 1/2 tablespoon of the black bean garlic sauce. Be careful when using other chili sauces because they can be a lot spicier than doubanjiang. You can use leftover doubanjiang for other stir fries.

You can find red Sichuan peppercorns in Chinese supermarkets or online. 2 teaspoons of Sichuan peppercorns will give you an adequate amount of spice without feeling as if your mouth was on fire. I don’t like using over 1 tablespoons of peppercorns, but feel free to add more to suit your taste. If you are apprehensive about too much spice, you can leave the peppercorns whole.

I prefer using gochugaru because it gives the sauce a nice red color and it has some level of spice. You can use Chinese chili flakes or even red pepper flakes that you can find in supermarkets. Warning: if you are using red pepper flakes that are pretty spicy, I recommend only using 3/4 teaspoon of it. 

If you know it is going to be a while before you actually make the sauce for the tofu, remove tofu from hot water after 5 to 8 minutes.

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Cultured.guru. Thanks so much!