Mapo Doufu

Ok folks. Here's something for those craving Chinese food that is lighter, flavorful, and doesn't cost very much to make. Well, provided that you have most of the primary ingredients.

So here's the thing about cooking Chinese food in the US, especially in non-Asian households. It can be challenging because you aren't familiar with the ingredients and how the final dish, the dish you've slaved so hard over, is supposed to taste. It also can frustrate the hell out of you because you don't have all the "exotic" ingredients waiting for you in the pantry. I get it.

So get these three items:

These two sauces are quintessential when cooking Chinese food, be it Sichuanese, Hunanese, Hokkien or Cantonese. Just get it. And oh hey, if you don't have the one on the right, the lighter brown bean paste, substitute it with miso. Just make sure it doesn't have dashi or MSG in it. It's.. an acceptable compromise, by my standards. Let's face it, girl's gotta put food on the table!

I like soft toufu for this dish because it melds so nicely with the sauce. Don't fret it you've got medium or hard toufu or whatever. It's personal preference. Mao will not turn in his grave. How to tell it's soft toufu? The packet should say so? Or else, pick one that is for soup or steaming. Hope that helps me remember! 

Also, this is a MUST if you want the tongue-numbing sensation and/or the fruity-floral taste of Sichuanese dishes. A MUST for this dish. I use about 1/2 to 1 tbs of this sensational spice for this dish. Please, feel free to add more if you like a culinary challenge. I have friends who eat Sichuan hot pot primarily for this spice. In Singlish, we call them "siao", ie crazy asses.

I believe some packets call it prickly ash.  Pick out the twigs, use the rest whole or ground in a mortar.

and.. to re-emphasize how in-authentic a cook I am, and also how resourceful and adaptive, use korean chili powder for anything mildly spicy, or buy a packet of dried chilis from an asian supermarket for a bigger kick.

Now, the recipe. I've been cooking this for ages, adapting a site I used to visit. Recently I bought Fushia Dunlop's Land of Plenty and realised it was rather similar! Except that her recipe uses beef instead of pork. I've never tried it but can only imagine I'd prefer the milder flavor of pork in here.
She also puts leeks in here. I never do, because Pan is picky about his food and this is one of the only ways I can get him to eat toufu, so no way am I going to jeopardize that by putting in a veggie he's not fond of. If you do use leeks, use only the soft white part, slice thinly on the diagonal, and add it in step 1.

Also,  possible vegan note: sub out the chicken broth for veggie, and pork for chopped mushrooms, and this could be an ideal meal! I must try this out.

Mapo Doufu Recipe 

Adapted from Appetite for China

Feeds 4 as a side dish (I paired it with a snow pea and shredded rotisserie chicken I had left over.. look!)

Prep time: 5 min

Cooking time: 15 min

Ingredients

1)   1 tub soft tofu roughly cut into 1-inch cubes (or larger)

2)   1 tbs vegetable oil

3)   ½ lb = 8 ounces ground pork

4)   4 cloves garlic, minced

5)   2.5 TBS chili bean paste AND 1 TBS fermented black bean paste  or: 3 tbs dark brown dou jiang + 1 tbs chinese style sambal chili

7)   0.5 to 1 tbs Sichuan pepper (prickly ash), ground into powder

8)   2 tsp white sugar

9)   2 tsp light soy sauce

10) 1.5 cup chicken stock /water

11)  ~ 3 tbs cornstarch mixed with 4 tbs cold water

12) garnish: 2 bunches of spring onions, diced.

Optional:

1)   1 pack of white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2) Two young leeks, washed, white tender parts sliced thinly on the diagonal

Instructions

Heat veggie oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and mushrooms and stir-fry until fragrant.

Reduce heat to medium, add minced pork and stir-fry until brown. Add your choice of either/or for number 5) and the ground Sichuan pepper, and fry for about 1 minute, until the oil is a rich red color.

Pour in the stock and stir well.  Season with the sugar, soy sauce, and salt to taste. At this point, taste it. It should taste savory, rich, with a tinge of sweetness.

Mix in the drained tofu gently by pushing the back of your ladle or wok scoop gently from the edges to the center of the wok or pan; don't plop the whole box in or you will have sauce all over your stove and your shirt! 

Stir very gently and only as needed, or the tofu will break up into mush. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, allowing the tofu to absorb the flavors of the sauce.

Then add the cornstarch mixture in 2 or 3 stages as required, mixing as you go. The sauce should just cover the back of your ladle. if it's too runny, you'll find that this dish doesn't taste as good because the sauce doesn't stick to the toufu. If it's too thick, every bite you take of the dish will be far too flavorful and you won't be able to enjoy very much of it. 

Enjoy!

Salutations! Hello! Welcome!

I say these greetings to myself, because I know that as the lowly, run-of-the-mill, plebeian home-cook that I am, I have no fans, no followers, no viewers.

And that's ok with me. I'm pleased as punch that I've finally put this blog up. Although not very put together, at least it's up. I'm fiddling with the template as much as I, IT-constrained as I am, can. I know that in the not too distant future I will be able to turn this into something my children and grandchildren and I can enjoy, reviewing memories and recipes. Did I just say not too distant future? Umm scratch that. A long time from now.. I mean to say.

My only problem with my carefully curated list of recipes is that I have no photos to show! I'm really not that kind of gal who would take photos of food before I eat it. I just eat. And eat. And eat. Oh dear. I suppose I'll have to learn how to make my food look appetizing and luscious. And remember to take a darn photo of it to put up!

Until then my darlings, I leave you me with a recipe of the not-so-famous..

Michelle the Hung Wai Lee Pasta

Serves: 6

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 45 min

Ingredients: 

½ pound sausage,  or

½ pack bacon (or both, lets be serious. the more the merrier. Just add more sugar to balance the ! salt)

1 cup lightly packed Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped, reserve ¼ cup for garnish

3 pounds tomatoes – roma or vine-ripened

1/2 additional pound of tomatoes

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sugar (more to taste)

¼ cup olive oil

if desired,
1 small onion, diced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley.

1 pack barilla spaghetti

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and cut the 3 lbs of tomatoes into quarters and eighths. In a large bowl, mix tomatoes with salt, pepper and olive oil. Spread out onto a baking tray lined with foil, including the juices.

Bake in oven for 40-45 min, until the edges of the tomatoes are browned and the juices are heavily reduced. At this point in time, your whole kitchen will smell like heaven. 

Bring salty water in a tall pot to boil.

In a large pan, fry sausage with chopped onion (if using), remove and drain fat.

or/and
Bring bacon to the pan. Fry on medium heat until crisp, remove, drain and cut into pieces.

Cook pasta in the hard-boiling, salty water.

Remove stems of remaining 1/2lb of tomatoes, dice. 

Scrape baked tomatoes off the foil into a medium bowl, add the diced tomatoes and some sugar. Taste, add more sugar if needed and mix well. Mix in sausage and onion and chopped parsley.  Pour cooked pasta in, mix well to coat pasta.

Divide onto plates, top with parsley garnish and bacon.


loving note:

This pasta sauce (without the fresh tomatoes and parsley) keeps remarkably well in the freezer for up to half a year. Come summer, I find myself making large batches to freeze for quick, fuss-free meals.