Vegan Mapo Tofu
Servings 3 people
Equipment
- sauté pan or wok
- small boiling pot
- mortar and pestle, coffee grinder, food processor, OR spice grinder
- strainer
Ingredients
- 1 block (14oz) soft tofu diced to bite sized cubes
- ½ cup textured vegetable protein (TVP) (or any vegan crumbles / ground "meat")
- 1 tbsp fermented black bean paste or black bean garlic sauce
- 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder or coursley grind (see notes for options)
- 4 cloves (2 tbsp) garlic minced
- ¼ thick (2 tsp) fresh ginger minced
- 2 tbsp red chili paste (see notes for options)
- ½ tbsp red pepper powder (gochugaru or cayenne pepper)
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (for the tofu brine)
- green onions (for serving) thinly sliced
- neutral flavored oil for cooking
- red chili oil or sesame oil (for finishing) optional
FOR THE LIQUID SEASONINGS
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tbsp rice wine (see notes for option)
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 3 tsp corn starch
Instructions
FOR THE TOFU PREPARATION
- Using a small sauce pot, fill up halfway through with water and drop a tablespoon of salt. Mix to dissolve and allow to boil in medium high heat. Once the water has boiled, turn off heat. Allow the water to calm down into a simmer.
- Gently drop each dice of tofu into the salt brine and let it soak. DO NOT mix or try to handle too much as it may crack or break. Leave in brine until ready to cook.
FOR THE MAPO TOFU
- Prepare textured vegetable protein (TVP) or any vegan crumbles according to package instructions. If you are using TVP, strain and squeeze out as much liquids as you possibly can before cooking.
- Using a small saucer, stir corn starch with 2 tbsp water and mix until starch has dissolved. Set aside for later.
- Preheat wok or sauté pan to medium high heat. Toss in the Sichuan peppercorns to toast for about 5-7 minutes on the pan, mixing it all around a few times. Remove from the pan and grind the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle OR food grinder until it reaches a fine texture good enough for seasoning. Set aside.**If you are using powdered or ground peppercorn, skip this step (see notes for alternatives if you cannot find Sichuan peppercorn). IF you are using a food processor, you may need to blend peppercorn by the bulk to get a ground consistency.
- Oil pan generously with 1-2 tbsp of oil. Once full heated, toss the TVP, followed by the garlic and ginger. Stir around the oil until fragrant. Add the chili paste, black bean paste, and red pepper flakes. Season with ground Sichuan pepper.
- Pour vegetable broth into pan to simmer. Lower down heat to medium low. Pour liquid each seasonings, red pepper powder, and sugar. Stir until fully combined. Gradually pour corn starch slur and mix. The broth will slowly thicken as it simmers.
- Carefully strain tofu out of the salt water brine. Be careful not to break it. Then, gently drop it into the broth mix. Gently stir all ingredients together. Allow it to simmer in low heat for about 4-7 minutes or until tofu has fully submerged in the tofu.
- Turn off heat and garnish with green onions. Drizzle a little bit of chili or sesame oil to finish.
- Best served fresh with a side of rice.
Notes
Fermented Black Bean Paste - Can also be known as black bean garlic sauce which comes in a paste form already. It should be found in any Asian section of the supermarket or Asian grocery. If you are unable to find this, using tausi beans will do the trick. Just mash the beans to create the paste or use a food processor.
Sichuan Peppercorn - I specifically bought Sichuan Peppercorn online (click here) to mimic close-to-authentic Chinese cuisines. You can check any Asian grocery store OR place that sells herbs & spices in your area. BUT if you cannot find it (or would rather want something more accessible), here is your next best bet of blends that are easy to follow:
- 1 tsp fresh ground black peppercorn
- 1-1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger