WHAT IS MALA SPICE?
The key to good mapo tofu is the mala spice provided by red Sichuan peppercorns (大紅袍花椒). Mapo tofu was my introduction to the tongue numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns. When you bite into one of those peppercorns, you’ll feel a slight tingling on the tip of your tongue. In a few short moments, the tingling feeling transitions into a slight numbing sensation. It is a strangely addictive experience that is common when eating Sichuan cooking. The phrase that describes the unique spice sensation associated with Sichuan cuisine is called mala (麻辣). In Chinese, “麻” means “numb” and “辣” means “spicy.” The combination of Sichuan peppercorns and chili flakes provide the distinctive mala flavor in Sichuan-style cooking.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN MAPO TOFU
PREPARE THE TOFU
I prefer mapo tofu when made with softer, smoother tofu. If you are buying refrigerated tofu that comes in plastic rectangular containers, choose the variety labeled “silken” or “soft” tofu. If you are buying small bricks of fresh tofu sold in bulk at an Asian supermarket, choose the tofu that is less firm. The tofu bricks are slightly firmer than silken tofu, but they work well for this recipe. Chop the tofu into 3/4-inch cubes. One thing to note about cooking with silken tofu is that they crumble very easily. As a result, you won’t want to toss them in the wok too much. To heat the tofu thoroughly, boil some water with a bit of salt. Then, turn off the heat and soak the tofu cubes in hot water while you prepare the sauce.
A VEGAN VERSION
Typically, mapo tofu is made with pork mince for umami flavor. In this vegan mapo tofu recipe, I omitted the pork and used finely diced shiitake mushrooms instead. If you don’t like mushrooms, you can leave it out. Alternatively, you can substitute the mushrooms with 2/3 cup of finely diced sweet bell peppers or jicama for crunch. Stir fry the shiitake mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of oil for about 2 minutes. Then, dish up the mushrooms.
INGREDIENTS FOR SAUCE
Doubanjiang (豆瓣醬): This is a Sichuan-style chili sauce made with fermented broad beans/fava beans. The sauce is quite salty, which is why I don’t add additional salt to the sauce. In a previous iteration of the recipe, I added another tablespoon of black bean and garlic sauce (蒜蓉豆豉醬). Having cooked this dish again over the past few years, I don’t find the addition necessary and makes the dish even more salty. That’s why I’ve omitted the sauce in this newer version. Red Sichuan Peppercorn: Measure out 3 to 4 teaspoons of the peppercorns and grind it with a mortar and pestle or with a spice grinder. If you’re using a mortar and pestle, you’ll find that the husks won’t break down entirely. Because this recipe uses a considerable amount of Sichuan peppercorns, the firm texture of the husks can get annoying as you eat the tofu. I recommend sifting the ground peppercorns through a fine mesh to sift out the husks. Grind 3 teaspoons (or 1 tablespoon) of the peppercorns if you want some spicy tingle in the dish; grind 4 teaspoons if you want more. If you use a spice grinder, I recommend grinding a few tablespoons of the peppercorns at once. I find grinders don’t work as well when you’re grinding very low quantities of something. Then, sift out the husks (yes, there’ll still be some). Finally, measure out 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sifted peppercorns for the dish; use 2 teaspoons if you want more spice. Garlic & Ginger: I like using minced garlic and ginger for aromatic spice. The recipe uses 1 tablespoon of minced ginger. If you want a more spicy dish, you can add 2 to 3 more teaspoons of minced ginger. Chili Flakes: Usually, mapo tofu recipes use Chinese chili flakes. In this recipe, I add gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes, because I love their lightly smoky flavor and the bright red color they add to the dish. The spice level of gochugaru is generally pretty mild. Feel free to use less if you are more spice averse. Substitutions for Gochugaru: You can use chili flakes like the ones in the photo above. These chili flakes with seeds can be much spicier than gochugaru. If you taste some of it and detect a strong heat at the tip of your tongue, I’d start with 3/4 teaspoon of the chili flakes. Add more if you want more spice. Sugar: I add a little sugar in the sauce to balance the salty flavor of the doubanjiang. Cornstarch slurry: You’ll also need 1/2 cup of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (the cornstarch acts as a thickener). The cornstarch can be replaced with tapioca starch. Fermented Black Beans: Many traditional mapo tofu recipes use fermented black beans (豆豉) to give the dish more flavor. In my original recipe, I used 1 tablespoon of black bean and garlic sauce (蒜蓉豆豉醬) because it is more readily available than fermented black beans. Since I published the recipe, I’ve made the mapo tofu without the black bean and garlic sauce, and I didn’t miss it. That’s why I decided to omit it from the recipe. You can add 1 or 2 teaspoons of black bean and garlic sauce to the dish, if you like.
PREPARE THE SAUCE
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat. Next, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds. Then, add the doubanjiang and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add the ground Sichuan peppercorn, gochugaru (or chili flakes), and sugar and stir together. Finally, add the cornstarch slurry and simmer the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes. In this recipe, I slice a stalk of scallions for the sauce and the garnish. I add the white and light green parts to the sauce as it simmers, and I use the dark green parts as garnish at the end.
MIX THE SAUCE WITH MUSHROOMS & TOFU
Add the sautéed mushrooms to the wok. Using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer the warmed tofu to the wok as well. Then, carefully toss everything together. The tofu is very delicate and can break apart easily, so be careful. Serve the mapo tofu in a bowl. Drizzle the tofu with a bit of sesame oil and garnish with the sliced scallions.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH MAPO TOFU
Rice! Try Jasmine Rice, Brown Rice, or Coconut RiceChinese Smashed Cucumber SaladRoasted AsparagusChinese Garlic Green BeansGreen Papaya Salad
Note: This post was first published in October 2019. I have updated the post with more photos and altered the recipe, which I explain further in the recipe headnote.
