January Recipe #2: Mapo Tofu 🍲

Check out the stream where I made this recipe!

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⭐ Ingredients
1 box of medium firm tofu (or any of your preference i.e. silken, fried, firm, etc)
200g minced pork (or any of your choice. can also omit completely!)
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 stalks green onion, minced and separated by white and green parts
1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
2 tbsp Old Dry Mother crispy chili oil
1 tbsp fermented bean paste
Salt and pepper
MSG
Soy sauce
Oyster sauce
2 cups water
Sesame oil
3 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp water

• Mince the garlic and green onions (separated by white and green parts) and set aside.

• Cut the tofu into bite sized cubes.

• In a non-stick pan, heat a bit of cooking oil until hot, and lightly saute the garlic and white parts of the green onion in oil.

• When the colour becomes nice and vibrant, add in the minced meat and saute until cooked through. Add a small bit of salt and pepper to season the meat slightly.

• Remember to break down the meat with a spatula as it sautes so it's nice and separated, and not in big chunks.

• When the meat is cooked through, push it to one side of the pan.

• On the bare side of the pan, lightly saute the chili oil and fermented soy bean paste together so the flavours bloom.

• Mix the meat with the sauce until evenly mixed.

• Add in the 2 cups of water and mix thoroughly.

• Add in cubed tofu.

• Taste the soup and check for seasoning. If not salty enough, add soy sauce and/or oyster sauce to taste. Add in MSG.

• Let soup simmer for 10 min with lid off, until slightly reduced but still soupy. If accidentally simmered over, add a bit more water back in.

• In a bowl, combine the 3 tbsp water and corn starch and mix until even.

• Turn the heat down to lowest or off, and slowly drizzle in half of the corn starch slurry and mix into the soup.

• Check for consistency. If you like the thickness, stop. If you want it thicker, drizzle in more corn starch slurry until desired thickness.

• Garnish with the green parts of the minced green onions.

• Serve with warm rice or whatever you want!