Mushroom mapo tofu
15 min · 18 g protein · 245 cals / serving
Silky cubes of soft tofu in a glossy, garlicky, chili-red sauce with finely chopped mushrooms browned until they taste meaty, the way the Sichuan classic uses pork. Black bean garlic sauce, chili garlic sauce and a spoon of chili crisp from the supermarket do the work of doubanjiang. Spoon it over steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 12 oz crimini mushroom, cremini (chestnut) mushrooms, pulsed or chopped very finely
- 2 blocks (14 oz each) soft tofu, soft or medium-firm, drained and cut in 2 cm (3/4-inch) cubes
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 3 tbsp black bean sauce, black bean garlic sauce, or doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce, more to taste
- 1 tbsp chili crisp, or chili oil, plus more at the table
- 1 1/4 cups water, or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Steps
- Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped, like coarse breadcrumbs (or chop them very finely). Cut the tofu into cubes.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring every minute or so, for 5 minutes, until their liquid has cooked away and they brown in places. Mince the garlic and ginger and slice the green onions while they cook.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds, then the black bean sauce, chili garlic sauce and chili crisp for 30 seconds more, until the sauces darken and smell savoury.
- Pour in the water, add the sugar and bring to a simmer. Slide in the tofu and simmer gently for 3 minutes, nudging it with the back of a spatula rather than stirring, so the cubes stay whole.
- Stir the cornstarch into the 2 tablespoons of water, drizzle it in and nudge the pan for 30–60 seconds until the sauce turns glossy and clings. Take it off the heat and finish with the sesame oil and green onions. Serve over rice, with more chili crisp at the table. It keeps 3 days in the fridge; reheat gently. It does not freeze well, because frozen tofu turns spongy.
Good to know
What about Sichuan pepper?
If you have Sichuan peppercorns, toast a teaspoon in a dry pan, grind it and scatter it over at the end. That tingling, numbing warmth is what makes mapo tofu taste like it does in Chengdu.
Can I use firm tofu?
Yes, firm tofu holds its shape better and is easier to stir, though it is less silky, at about 68 instead of 72.
Is it very spicy?
Medium as written. For a milder pot, leave out the chili garlic sauce and the chili crisp and serve them at the table instead.
Per
- Calories
- 66
- Protein
- (29%)
- 5 g
- Fat
- (49%)
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- (21%)
- 4 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 230 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 980 kcal goes into the pot and 1651 g of ingredients comes out as about 1495 g of food: 66 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.