Vegan Ma-Po Tofu
I was hooked from my first spoon of Mapo Tofu on a cold wintry night in Hong Kong. There are many stories about how the Ma-Po Tofu dish came about, however for me the the flavours are absolutely impeccable. Here’s my simplified version of this classic Asian dish inspired by everyday pantry and fridge ingredients,
We need,
- Firm Tofu, crumbled – 1 block
- Button Mushrooms, chopped – 1/2 cup
- Green Bell Pepper, chopped – 1/2 cup
- Soy Crumbles – 1/2 cup
- Water – 1 cup
- Salt, to taste
- Sesame Oil – 1 tablespoon
- Ginger, minced finely – 1 teaspoon
- Garlic, minced finely – 1 teaspoon
- Sichuan Peppers, powdered – 1 teaspoon
- Shallots, finely sliced – 2 to 3, for garnishing
- Black Bean Sauce – 2 teaspoons
- Soy Sauce – 1 tablespoon
- White Vinegar – 1 tablespoon
- Corn Flour – 1 tablespoon
Directions,
- Mix soy sauce, black bean sauce and vinegar with 1/2 cup water then dissolve the cornflour.
- Heat oil in a deep skillet and fry the Sichuan pepper powder, ginger and garlic for 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetables, soy crumbles and crumbled tofu and mix well.
- When the vegetables look slightly browned then add in the sauce mixture.
- Add more water if required, simmer for 3 – 5 minutes on gentle heat till sauce starts to bubble up and thicken.
- Take off the heat and stir in the shallots.
Enjoy hot with steamed quinoa or, fried rice or, as is, in a large bowl!
if you enjoyed reading my Vegan Ma-Po Tofu recipe, please click here for more Asian fusion 😊
