Inspired by Chen Kenichi, I learned to make mapodofu. It's quick, it's cheap and by God, it's tasty.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
400g minced beef or 1 cup of beef mince style TVP, soaked in 1 cup of water
2 tablespoons of fermented black bean paste (or locally available equivalent - ie: Tenmen jyan)
1 inch of finely chopped fresh ginger (at least!)
2 birds eye chilli, chopped finely
3 spring onions, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 cup of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon of chilli paste (or locally available equivalent - ie: Shisen toban jyan)
1 teaspoon of miso (optional - red miso works best)
2 tablespoons of Chinese rice wine
450g of firm or silken tofu, according to your preference (I like silken best)
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of cornflour
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
Szechuan Pepper, to taste (if not available use white pepper)
1. Crush your Szechuan Pepper (also called Prickly Ash) in a mortar and pestle. Heat the oil in the wok, add the mince and season with salt and pepper. Break up any lumps with your wooden spoon, and brown the mince.
2. Add the black beans, ginger, spring onions and chilli and stir fry for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add the stock, soy sauce, chilli paste, miso and rice wine. Cut the tofu into little cubes (about 1.5cm) and add to the wok with the garlic and stir until the tofu is well coated. Cook over a low heat for a further 3 minutes.
4. Comine the cornflour with 3 tablespoons of water and stir with a fork until it forms a smooth paste. Add to the wok with the sesame oil and Szechuan pepper. Stir over a low heat until thickened slightly. Serve by either pouring over rice or in an iceburg lettuce leaf.
*The Koon Yick Wah Kee Soy Chilli Paste that I use is reallly intense. Approach with caution.
Overfeeds 2 people, 2 times.
2 tablespoons of Chinese rice wine
450g of firm or silken tofu, according to your preference (I like silken best)
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of cornflour
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
Szechuan Pepper, to taste (if not available use white pepper)
1. Crush your Szechuan Pepper (also called Prickly Ash) in a mortar and pestle. Heat the oil in the wok, add the mince and season with salt and pepper. Break up any lumps with your wooden spoon, and brown the mince.
2. Add the black beans, ginger, spring onions and chilli and stir fry for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add the stock, soy sauce, chilli paste, miso and rice wine. Cut the tofu into little cubes (about 1.5cm) and add to the wok with the garlic and stir until the tofu is well coated. Cook over a low heat for a further 3 minutes.
4. Comine the cornflour with 3 tablespoons of water and stir with a fork until it forms a smooth paste. Add to the wok with the sesame oil and Szechuan pepper. Stir over a low heat until thickened slightly. Serve by either pouring over rice or in an iceburg lettuce leaf.
*The Koon Yick Wah Kee Soy Chilli Paste that I use is reallly intense. Approach with caution.
Overfeeds 2 people, 2 times.
Updated 7 April 2010.
NOTE: this recipe is also an excellent way to hide vegetables from fussy eaters. Just slice the vegetables into tiny cubes, fry them off briefly in a little oil before commencing step 1 of this recipe. Acceptable vegetables include eggplant, onions, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, capsicum, or similar. Makes a delicious dinner treat into a nutritious espionage dinner.
