Mapu Tofu (Tofu with a spicy minced meat sauce)

I am sure we have all eaten versions of this dish at Chinese restaurants, with its combination of creamy tofu and slightly spicy sauce.

Mapu tofu

This is a slightly Japanese version, from Harumi’s cookbook. I find it lighter and more fragrant than the Chinese version, and if you stock Japanese ingredients, a very easy one to pull together for a weeknight dinner. You must use silken or soft tofu to get a good result. Harumi blanches her tofu (apparently that helps to keep it firm, so don’t skip this step).

If you have Japanese Shansho pepper, sprinkle some on at the end whilst serving the dish. It will add a spicy hit, like Schewan pepper in the Chinese version of this recipe.

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Mapu Tofu (Tofu with a spicy minced meat sauce)
I love the fact that we can get 200g of meat to feed 4 comfortably and the boys absolutely love this dish eaten with some steamed rice and veggies. A perfect dinner for a chilly summer evening (yes, we do get some of those in London!).
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 15 min
Cook Time 10 min
Servings
Ingredients
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 15 min
Cook Time 10 min
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Combine the dashi, Sorry sauce, sugar, sake, and mirin in a period stir until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Drain. then cut the tofu into half inch square pieces. Blanch in hot water with a little salt to firm the tofu and drain in a strainer.
  3. Heat the oil in a deep pan or wok and fry the garlic, ginger, and scallions.
  4. Add the ground meat and brown. Add the chilli and red pepper and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the dashi mixture, bring to a boil, and then carefully add the tofu pieces.
  5. Finally, stir in the cornflour slurry (add a little at a time, you may not need the whole lot) until the sauce thickens. Serve immediately with some steamed rice and veggies.
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