Mapo Tofu: Sichuan’s Fiery Soul
Mapo tofu stands as one of the most iconic dishes in Sichuan cuisine, embodying the region’s love affair with bold, spicy flavours. Legend has it that the dish originated in the late 19th century, created by a pockmarked elderly woman (hence “Mapo” – meaning pockmarked grandmother) who ran a small restaurant on the outskirts of Chengdu. The dish masterfully combines silken tofu cubes with ground pork in a rich sauce that showcases the complexity of Sichuan flavors – the numbing heat of Sichuan peppercorns, the deep umami of fermented black beans and doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste), and the fiery warmth of red chillies. The sauce, which glistens with signature red chilli oil, clings to the delicate tofu pieces while the ground pork adds textural contrast. Despite its humble origins, mapo tofu has transcended regional boundaries to become a beloved dish worldwide, though purists maintain that its true essence lies in the balance of málà (numbing and spicy) flavors that can only be achieved with authentic Sichuan ingredients and traditional cooking methods.
- Serves: 4
- Serving size: 200g
- Calories: 428
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated fat: 3 grams
- Unsaturated fat: 20 grams
- Carbohydrates: 10 grams
- Sugar: 4 grams
- Sodium: 946 mg
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Protein: 19 grams

- Firm Tofu – 400 grams
- Minced beef – 100 grams
- Pickled ginger – 15 grams
- Pickled red Chillies – 20 grams
- Spring onions – three
- Garlic -one clove
- Tamari sauce – one tablespoon
- Dried Red Chillies – 10 grams ( use Chaotianjiao Chillis if you can find them).
- Sichuan peppercorns – ½ tablespoon ( coarsely ground)
- Rapeseed oil – ¼ of a cup ( can be substituted by any vegetable oil)
- Doubanjiang – 1. 5 tablespoons
- Fermented black beans – ½ tablespoon
- Salt – 1 teaspoon
- Sugar – one teaspoon
- Black pepper – a quarter of a teaspoon
- Corn starch – one tablespoon
- Place the dried Chillies in a grinder. Grind into fine flakes
- Finely chop the pickled garlic and Chillies
- Chop two spring onions along the stem into 4mm pieces
- Finely slice the garlic
- Cut the Tofu into bite-sized chunks
- Add three cups of water in a wok or pan. Bring it to a medium heat
- Once the water is heated, add the Tofu and ½ teaspoon of salt. Let in cook for about a minute. Until the water starts boiling
- Remove the Tofu from the stove and drain it in a colander
- Season the mince with half a teaspoon of salt and the black pepper
- Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a wok. Add the dried Chillies and Sichaun peppercornS. Fry until fragrant, and then remove from the heat. Remove fried Chillies from the wok and keep to one side
- Clean the wok and dry it. Place it back on the stove
- Heat the remaining oil to medium heat.
- Add the garlic and two spring onions. Fry it for about a minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic
- Add the mince and cook it until it has dried and all traces of pinkness have gone.
- Add the Doubanjian. Stir it into the meat
- Now add the chopped pickled Chilli, ginger and fermented bean paste.
- Fry for about a minute on medium heat. Be careful not to burn the garlic
- Add half of the fried dried Chilli and Sichuan pepper flake that were previously kept to one side
- Mix well and add a cup and half of water. Stir well
- Add the sugar
- Now add the Tofu. Boil in the liquid for about five minutes. You are looking to infuse the chilli sauce into the Tofu and make it soft
- Mix the cornstarch with a bit of water and mix into a paste the consistency of cream.
- Add the starch to the dish. Stir until the sauce starts thickening.
- Garnish with remaining Chill and the remaining spring onion finely chopped.
- Serve with rice
The compound in Sichan pepper that causes numbness is called Hydroxy alpha sanshool . It provides a pleasant tingling sensation
Keywords: Mapo Tofu
Image credit: Bing / CC BY NC SA 2.0 / via Flickr
