Sichuan Mapo Tofu from Scratch

Ingredients

• 400 g silken tofu
• 150 g ground pork
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste)
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 4 whole dried chilies(optional)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp, grated ginger
• 3 stalks scallions
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine(optional)
• 200 ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp sugar

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep (15 min): Cut tofu into 2 cm cubes. Toast Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan until fragrant, then grind half to a powder and set aside. Mince garlic and ginger, slice scallions, and mix cornstarch with 3 tbsp water.

2. 2

   Cook pork (5 min): Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Fry ground pork, pressing it into small crumbles, until browned and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes. Add Shaoxing wine and stir.

3. 3

   Build the sauce (5 min): Push pork aside, add doubanjiang, dried chilies, garlic, and ginger to the oil. Fry 1-2 minutes until the oil turns red and fragrant. Add stock, soy sauce, and sugar; bring to a simmer.

4. 4

   Simmer tofu (5 min): Gently slide tofu cubes into the sauce. Simmer over low heat 5 minutes without stirring vigorously—swirl the pan instead to keep tofu intact.

5. 5

   Thicken and finish (5 min): Stir the cornstarch slurry and drizzle in slowly while swirling until the sauce coats the tofu. Off heat, sprinkle with ground Sichuan peppercorns and scallions. Rest 2 minutes and serve with steamed rice.