Hello hi everyone! This is a riff off of a Sichuan stir fry dish called "mapo tofu" that borrows some korean and japanese ingredients in my lifelong pursuit to recreate my grandma's mapo tofu. I haven't had my grandma's mapo tofu in over 15 years, but as I recall it was a bit sweeter than a more traditional mapo tofu, hence the inclusion of gochujang and mirin. Hope try it.

 

serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS (dry)

  • 1 tbsp ginger (about 1 inch)

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 2 green onions

  • 1 lb silken/soft tofu

  • 1/2 lb ground meat (pork, chicken, or beef)

INGREDIENTS (wet)

  • 2 tbsp mirin

  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

  • 1 tbsp gochujang

  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce

  • 4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or 2 tbsp full sodium soy sauce)

  • 2 tbsp spicy black bean paste

ON THE STOVE

  • HEAT 2 tbsp oil as hot as possible

  • SAUTE the ground meat until no longer pink

  • SAUTE the ginger and garlic until fragrant

  • ADD the wet ingredients until combined (add a pinch of Sezechuan pepper at this point to taste)

  • ADD 1/2 cup water and tofu gently, until combined

  • ADD 2 tbsp corn starch (mix with equal parts water to avoid clumping. Don't be lazy like me)

  • finish with green onions, serve over rice

 

tagged with woo can cook, mapo tofu, sichuan stir fry, spicy sichuan stir fry