MA PO TOFU
This Chinese tofu and pork dish is packed with so much flavour! Served with rice, this dish will even please those non-tofu eaters.
Ingredients
600g firm tofu, cut into 3-centimetre cubes
150ml chicken stock
1 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tsp soy sauce
3½ Tbsp Gochujang sweet pepper paste
2 tsp Doenjang bean paste
Pinch chilli powder, or to taste
1 tsp cornflour
60ml vegetable oil
150g minced pork
2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, dry roasted in a pan for 20-30 seconds, crushed in a mortar and pestle, plus extra to serve
3 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
10g ginger, peeled, finely chopped
1 tsp caster sugar
3 spring onions, cut into 3-centimetre batons
To serve: Steamed rice
Method
Cook tofu in a saucepan of simmering water over medium heat until warmed through, about 5 mins. Drain well in a sieve and set aside
Meanwhile, combine the chicken stock, Shaoxing wine and soy sauce in a small mixing bowl and set aside
In a small mixing bowl, combine the Gochujang and the Doenjang and set aside
In another small bowl, mix the cornflour with 1 teaspoon of water until a paste forms, set aside
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. When oil is hot, add pork and stir fry until browned
Add the bean paste mixture and crushed Sichuan pepper and stir fry until it starts to caramelise
Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and ginger and stir to combine
Add the tofu, then the stock mixture and bring to the simmer
Carefully stir in the cornflour paste and the sugar and bring back to the simmer and continue simmering until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 mins
Stir in the spring onions and divide among serving bowls and scatter with the extra Sichuan pepper and serve with hot steamed rice