Serves 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Yang Liu says: “Mapo tofu is one of the most loved tofu dishes ever, and is certainly a signature dish of Sichuan cuisine. Mapo (麻婆) means ‘an older woman with a freckled face’ in Chinese. Allegedly, the dish was invented by a woman who ran a small restaurant in Chengdu, Sichuan, in 1862. She was called Mapo because of the freckles on her face. Mapo tofu is known to be mouth-numbing, spicy, tender and aromatic. it is traditionally cooked with minced (ground) beef, but in this recipe I substitute it with a vegan mince, which also provides a very good taste.”

Ingredients

750g tender tofu, cut into 2 cm dice
60ml canola (rapeseed) oil
100g vegan mince
100g Pixian broad bean paste
60ml Chilli oil
1 tablespoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon fermented black beans
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
360ml hot water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
90ml warm water
½ teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
1 green garlic stalk, cut into short lengths

Method

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil on a medium heat and add the tofu. Boil for one minute, then remove from the water and set aside.

Heat a wok over a medium heat. Once hot, add three tablespoons of the oil and the vegan mince, breaking it into small pieces with a spatula. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the mince is slightly crispy and brown on the outside, then remove from the heat and set it aside for later.

Add the remaining oil to the wok and fry the Pixian broad bean paste for about 1 minute, then add the chilli oil, chilli flakes and fermented black beans. Stir a little, then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Carefully add the tofu, then pour in the hot water and soy sauce.

When the sauce starts simmering, mix the cornflour with the warm water and add half of the cornflour water. Stir carefully and let it come to a simmer again.

When the sauce has reduced by half, turn the heat down to medium–low and add half of the remaining starchy water. Stir and let it simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened, then add the rest of the starchy water. Let it simmer for another minute, stir gently so the tofu doesn’t stick to the wok, then turn off the heat.

Carefully transfer the tofu to a bowl and top with the ground Sichuan peppercorns and the green garlic.

Vegan Chinese Food: Upgrade your weeknight dinners with these 3 easy tofu recipes