Braised Beancurd with Spicy Bean Paste Sauce (MaPo DouFu) 麻婆豆腐

MaPo Doufu (麻婆豆腐）is a popular Chinese dish originally from Sichuan China. MaPo means an old lady whose face was pocked-marked and Doufu is beancurd in Chinese. Click here to find out more about its legend.

The original recipe uses Sichuan peppercorn and spicy chili oil. To tone down its hot spiciness and greasiness, I substituted them with ground pepper and Vietnamese extra hot chili garlic sauce. You may use any chili sauce which you can find. However, you may exclude sugar in cooking if you use sweet chili sauce.

Prep Time : 18 minutes
Cook Time : 10 minutes

Ingredients: Serve 2 to 3

• 1/2 box (250g) of soft silken beancurd (19oz box) - dice into 1/2 inch cubes
  
• 1/2 lb (200g) ground pork (can substitute with ground beef)
• 2 stalks of spring onions or scallion - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  
• 1/2 to red bell pepper - dice into 1/2 inch cubes
  
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• 1 Tbsp minced young ginger
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot (about 1 to 2 cloves)
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
  
• 1 tsp Tapioca or corn starch (dilute the powder with 2 Tsp water)
• 1 Cup (240ml) water

Seasonings A:

• 1/4 tsp light soy sauce
  
• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper

Seasonings B:

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp salted soya beans, minced
  
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 to 1 tsp chili sauce
  
• 1/2 tsp Shao Hsing wine (can substitute with Dry Sherry wine)
• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp sugar

Preparation:

1. Marinate ground pork with seasonings A for at least 15 minutes.
2. Mix seasonings B in a bowl. Keep 1/2 Tsp of spring onions and 1/2 Tsp of bell pepper for garnishing later.
3. Heat the fry pan with oil over low heat. Add minced ginger, shallot and garlic. Stir for 20 seconds.
4. Add ground pork and stir. Cook until almost fully cooked.
5. Add seasonings into the fry pan. Stir well. Add bell pepper and beancurd. Stir gently.
6. Add water and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Cover the fry pan with lid and simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
   
7. Uncover and add corn starch to thicken the sauce. Stir for about 30 seconds. Turn off the fire. Add spring onion to mix well.
8. Garnish with green onion and bell pepper. Ready to serve with white rice.