Mapo Tofu Sauce

Name: Mapo Tofu Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Chinese (Sichuan)
Ingredients: Doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste) — 30 g (2 tbsp); Fermented black beans, mashed — 10 g (1 tbsp); Ground pork — 150 g (5 oz); Garlic and ginger, minced — 2 cloves and 10 g (2 cloves and 1 tbsp); Chicken or vegetable stock — 250 ml (1 cup); Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground — 5 g (1.5 tsp); Soy sauce — 15 ml (1 tbsp); Cornstarch slurry — 15 g (1.5 tbsp) mixed with water; Vegetable oil — 30 ml (2 tbsp)

The Quirky Foodster Team

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10 min

Prep

15 min

Cook

Ingredients

Doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste) — 30 g (2 tbsp)
Fermented black beans, mashed — 10 g (1 tbsp)
Ground pork — 150 g (5 oz)
Garlic and ginger, minced — 2 cloves and 10 g (2 cloves and 1 tbsp)
Chicken or vegetable stock — 250 ml (1 cup)
Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground — 5 g (1.5 tsp)
Soy sauce — 15 ml (1 tbsp)
Cornstarch slurry — 15 g (1.5 tbsp) mixed with water
Vegetable oil — 30 ml (2 tbsp)

Method

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat; brown ground pork, breaking it up, about 4-5 minutes.
Add doubanjiang and fermented black beans, stir-fry 2 minutes until fragrant and oil turns red.
Add garlic and ginger, stir-fry 1 minute.
Pour in stock and soy sauce; bring to a simmer.
Stir in cornstarch slurry to thicken; finish with ground Sichuan peppercorns for the signature numbing spice (this
sauce is then poured over soft tofu cubes and briefly simmered together).

Cultural Background: The signature sauce of Sichuan's iconic mapo tofu, this sauce combines doubanjiang, fermented black beans and generous Sichuan peppercorns for the dish's hallmark 'ma la' (numbing-spicy) sensation, created by a pockmarked ('mapo') woman in 19th-century Chengdu.

Tips: • Toasting and freshly grinding Sichuan peppercorns just before use gives the most vibrant numbing sensation. • This sauce is traditionally simmered gently with soft tofu cubes directly, rather than served as a standalone sauce.

Variations: • Omit pork for a vegetarian version using mushrooms instead. • Adjust doubanjiang and chili oil for varying heat intensity.

Storage: Refrigerate the sauce (without tofu) up to 3 days.

Reheating: Reheat gently in a wok or saucepan, stirring, adding stock if too thick. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 90 kcal, 6 g protein, 6 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate per 100 ml serving.

FAQs: What is mapo tofu sauce traditionally used for? Simmered directly with soft tofu cubes to create the iconic Sichuan dish mapo tofu. What does 'ma la' mean? 'Numbing-spicy', describing the distinctive sensation from Sichuan peppercorns (ma) combined with chili heat (la) that defines much of Sichuan cuisine.