Bean Curd Szechuan-Style (Ma Po Dofu)
- Ready In:
- 27mins
- Ingredients:
- 15
- Serves:
-
2-3
ingredients
- 1⁄2 - 3⁄4 lb bean curd
- 1⁄4 lb boneless lean pork (finely chopped or ground)
-
For Pork Marinade
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon sweet bean paste or 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
-
For Stir-frying
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or 3 tablespoons salad oil
-
Sauce
- 1 teaspoon gingerroot, minced
- 2 teaspoons szechuan hot bean sauce (tobanjan or lajiaojiang)
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 2-3 cloves)
- 3⁄4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 green onions, whole, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1⁄2 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns, roasted and crumbled (huajiao) (optional)
directions
- Cut bean curd into .5-inch cubes, place in a colander and leave to drain for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl blend the marinade: 1 tsp of soy sauce, sherry, and sweet bean or hoisin sauce; add pork and stir to coat.
- Stir in 1 tsp of the oil and marinate for 15 minutes.
- Heat a wok or wide frying pan over high heat.
- When pan is hot, add remaining veg oil.
- When oil begins to heat (i.e. passes the "water droplet test" where a sprinkling of water thrown into the oil starts to crackle--careful here) add ginger and garlic.
- Stir once, then add pork and stir-fry until meat isn't pink any more, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in hot bean sauce (lajiaojiang or tobanjan).
- Add drained beancurd, the water and the 2 Tbsp soy sauce.
- Simmer for 3 minutes, then add green onion.
- Re-mix cornstarch and water with a fork, add to pan and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens (this happens very quickly).
- Sprinkle with crushed szechuan peppercorns just before serving.
- Serve over large mounds of hot white rice.
- I have served this along with some stir-fried Chinese broccoli (gai lan) seasoned with a little oyster sauce, or some baby bok choy stir fried with a little sesame oil.
- For a vegetarian version, this recipe also works if you omit the meat.
- You could also try using some kind of veggie sausage, like Morningstar crumbles, in place of the pork.
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I'm a married graduate student. Lately I haven't had as much time to cook as I would like...