Mapo Tofu Korean Recipes

MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• Heat a wok over medium-high heat and toast the Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer the peppercorns to a bowl to cool. Coarsely grind the peppercorns in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the chicken broth, hot bean paste, cornstarch, hot sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar; set aside.
• Heat the wok over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil, garlic, ginger and fermented black beans and cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 10 seconds. Add the ground pork and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat with a wooden spatula or spoon, until it is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. (Lower the heat to medium if the garlic starts to burn.) Add the reserved ground peppercorns, the tofu and the soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring once to combine, until the sauce is reduced, thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and garnish with the scallions. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• Get all the ingredients ready before you start cooking and set them out in bowls. Drain the tofu and cut it into 1.5cm cubes. Put it in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Leave this while you get on with everything else.
• Heat a wok and pour in the groundnut oil. Get this really hot and fry the pork until it's crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon but leave the oil behind.
• Add the bean paste and cook, stirring for a few mins until fragrant, then add the black beans, ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, for a min or so, then add the stock and let it bubble away.
• Stir the cornflour and water into the mixture in the wok, drain the tofu and stir it into the sauce. Tip in the spring onions and the mince.
• Add the chilli oil, if using, and sprinkle over the Sichuan peppercorns. The sauce shouldn't need seasoning with salt, as many of the ingredients are salty already. Serve with boiled white rice.

MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• Prepare the tofu: Cut the tofu into 3/4-inch cubes and put into a bowl. Bring a kettle of water to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and when the boiling subsides, pour hot water over the tofu to cover. Set aside for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large (14-inch) wok or (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, toast the peppercorns for 2 to 3 minutes, until super fragrant and slightly darkened. (A wisp of smoke is normal.) Let cool briefly, then pound with a mortar and pestle, or pulse in a spice grinder.
• Set a strainer over a measuring cup, then add the tofu to drain; reserve 1 1/2 cups of the soaking water, discarding the rest. Set the tofu and reserved soaking water near the stove with the peppercorns and other prepped ingredients for swift cooking.
• Reheat the wok or skillet over high. When hot - you can flick water in and it should sizzle and evaporate within seconds - swirl in the oil to evenly coat, then add the meat. Stir and mash into cooked and crumbly pieces, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add 2 1/2 tablespoons doubanjiang, the douchi (if using), ginger and red-pepper flakes (if using). Cook about 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until things are vivid reddish brown. Add the soy sauce and sugar, stir to combine, then add the tofu. Gently stir or shake the pan to combine the ingredients without breaking up the tofu much.
• Add the reserved 1 1/2 cups soaking water, bring to a vigorous simmer, and cook for about 3 minutes, agitating the pan occasionally, to let the tofu absorb the flavors of the sauce.
• Slightly lower the heat and taste the sauce. If needed, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of doubanjiang for heat, a pinch of salt for savoriness, or a sprinkle of sugar to tame heat.
• Add the scallions and stir to combine. Stir in the cornstarch slurry, then stir in enough to the mapo tofu to thicken to a soupy rather than a gravy-like finish. Sprinkle in the ground peppercorns, give the mixture one last stir to incorporate, then transfer to a shallow bowl. Serve immediately with lots of hot rice.

MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap tofu w/ thick paper towel, let sit for 20 minutes to dry.
• Chop finely both garlic and ginger.
• Cut garlic chives into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Dissolve chicken stock in the hot water.
• Dissolve potato starch in water.
• Cut tofu horizontally into 2 pieces; then cut block into 3/4" cubes.
• Heat up your cooking pan, pour in sesame oil.
• Add pork and brown at high heat thoroughly.
• Add chopped garlic and ginger, reduce heat to medium.
• Push aside the cooking garlic and add the chili bean paste and sweet bean sauce to cleared area of pan; fry sauces at low heat and mix together, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Mix condiments and pork together; stir fry until evenly browned.
• Add sake, stirring until moisture is gone.
• Add chicken stock, soy sauce and sake to the pan, stirring lightly.
• Carefully add tofu blocks to pan, gently spread blocks in pan; let boil in high heat, then reduce to medium low and let simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing tofu to soak in flavors of the sauce.
• Add garlic chives, mixing gently to prevent tofu blocks from breaking.
• Mix potato starch and water thoroughly before slowly adding it to the pan.
• Gently mix by sliding spatula on pan away from you.
• Heat on high heat for 30 seconds, then remove from heat and serve on top of rice.
• Optional: sprinkle on sichuan pepper for added flavor and heat!

PUNCHY KOREAN STYLE MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, saute the ground meat and chopped onion.
• When meat is nearly cooked through and onions are translucent, add miso and oyster sauce.
• Stir to coat meat and onion pieces throughout.
• Add tofu cubes and gently combine with meat and onion mixture. It might not look like enough sauce at first, but with enough stirring, all the tofu will be coated perfectly.
• Saute until meat is cooked through and tofu is heated, about 5 minutes.
• If needed, keep warm on low and stir occasionally so the sauce doesn't stick and burn. Otherwise, serve hot on top of white short grain rice.