Vegan Mapo Tofu
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 8ounces shiitake mushrooms
- 2cups water
- 15ounce block of soft tofu (do not use silken)
- Salt
- 3tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3small dried hot red peppers
- 1tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed
- 1tablespoon fermented spicy broad bean paste (doubanjiang)
- 2teaspoons minced garlic
- 1tablespoon grated ginger
- 2teaspoons soy sauce
- 1teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1teaspoon finely ground Sichuan pepper
- 1tablespoon corn- or potato starch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
- ½cup slivered scallions, both white and green parts
- Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
157 calories; 11 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 586 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Remove stems from mushrooms. Make a light mushroom broth by simmering stems in 2 cups water for 15 minutes, then strain and reserve broth (discard stems). Dice mushroom caps and set aside.
- Step 2
Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes. Cover with boiling salted water, let steep for 15 minutes, then drain.
- Step 3
Put oil in a wok or wide skillet over medium heat. Add red peppers, black beans and bean paste and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger and let sizzle, then add mushrooms, soy sauce, sesame oil and Sichuan pepper. Add 1½ cups mushroom broth and cook mixture gently for 2 minutes.
- Step 4
Carefully add tofu cubes. Shake pan to distribute sauce, using a wooden spoon to help. Try to avoid smashing tofu. Drizzle in cornstarch mixture, gently swirling pan to incorporate (sauce will thicken) and simmer tofu in sauce for 2 minutes more. Thin with a little mushroom broth if necessary. Transfer to a low bowl or platter. Sprinkle with scallions and cilantro sprigs.
Private Notes
Comments
Things to simplify what some found difficult or puzzling:
1. It is not necessary to steep tofu.
2. Canned mushroom/vegetable/beef broth work fine as a substitute for broth from mushroom stems.
3. For fermented black beans and broad bean paste, substitute the readily available Black Bean Sauce with Garlic (e.g., Kikkoman's), using 2 tablespoons.
4. Cayenne pepper substitutes for ground Sichuan peppers, using 1/4 teaspoon or less, to taste.
Result: authentic-tasting mapo tofu.
Cayenne peppers are totally unrelated to Szechuan peppers, have a completely different chemistry and effect in food and do not "substitute" for Szechuan peppers to yield anything even approaching "authentic-tasting" Mapo dofu. It could be a tasty dish, but not even close to authentic (especially if one also substitutes Japanese black bean sauce with garlic for the totally different combo of fermented black beans and chile bean paste).
No. Absolutely do not substitute cayenne pepper for Sichuan peppercorn. Sichuan peppercorns are not peppercorns or even related to peppers! They are the husk of a seed. and the soft tofu definitely benefits from the incredibly easy step of steeping in salted water - why would you skip it? Sichuan peppercorns are surprisingly widely available and absolutely integral to this dish. If you can't find them, wait to make this until you do.
I make classic mapo tofu a lot, and this is the first time trying a vegan version. The mushrooms add heft, but not much discernible flavor. The black bean paste and the broad bean paste carry the flavor load. Perhaps with no meat, I need to add more paste? I will experiment with adding more paste and also saute the mushrooms longer with the aromatics. Need to tease more flavor out of the mushrooms for this to go into a regular rotation.
This recipe is too complicated (mushroom broth, boiled tofu). The vegan Chinese kitchen cookbook does none of this and turns out wonderfully spicy and umami. Would highly recommend the cookbook!
Is there a reason that the tofu should be added before the corn/potato starch mixture? Seems to me it would be easier to add the tofu cubes after the sauce has thickened.