Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

Mapo Tofu is not only a popular traditional dish, that comes from the province of Szechuan but it also holds an ancient story behind it. Whether it is true or not, I would not know. My father, who is not just an amazing 5 * Chef, is also my walking historic encyclopedia. That man really knows his history ... from Chinese, German, Arabic to American. He knows it all. It takes him a whole day to read whole newspaper, from top to bottom, article over article. He would soak it all in - and on top of it, he would read history books over history books.

I remember hearing the story of Mapo Tofy when I was at Timothy's age during my bedtime stories. I asked my dad, if he could cook my mapo tofu for tomorrow's dinner, as it was and still is, one of my favourite dishes. He mentioned than that there is an ancient story behind it. I was eager to hear it, which I am going to share with you today.

Once upon a time, an old woman (Chinese:婆婆), who was a widow, was living in the city of Chengdu. The old widow's face was disfigured by pockmarks (麻子). Everyone made fun of her due to her condition and due to the empress' order, she got chased to the outskirts of the city. By coincidence, it was near a road where traders often passed. Although the rich merchants could afford to stay within the numerous inns of the prosperous city while waiting for their goods to sell, poor farmers would stay in cheaper inns scattered along the sides of roads on the outskirts of the ancient city. She would sell this amazing tofu meat dish with Szechuan peppercorns that numb the diner's mouth and made a fortune. One day the Empress, travelled by and tried her dish, loved it and wondered why she would not sell this dish inside the city of Chengdu. The widow reminded him kindly that it was him, who chased her away from her original home and family. To honour this lady's dish, the Empress named it Mapo Tofu as it resembled her and her face and to remind him, not to treat anyone like this ever again. The END.

Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

1 block soft but not silken tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 oz lean ground beef or pork
3 - 4 dried mushrooms (冬菇), rinsed, soaked in warm water for 2 hours or overnight and finely minced
1 pack frozen peeled, divined prawns, defrosted ("Thai Gold" brand is the best) and finely minced
3 tablespoon chili bean paste (豆瓣醬), I like the ones made in Taiwan
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground or crushed (more or less depending on your tastes)
Dried whole chilies (optional, how much is up to you)
1 tablespoon fermented black beans (豉汁), smash it with the end of your knife handle to release the flavour(I like the Yang Jiang Brand of black beans)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
4 green onions, sliced in half lengthwise then cut into 3 inch sections separating the white part from the green part (you add them at different times)

1.5 tablespoon minced garlic/ginger mixture

1 - 2 tablespoons cilantro/green onion mixture
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoon water
Salt to taste

Step 1:

If you are using ground beef, brown it first, then drain it of the rendered fat because otherwise the dish will be a little too greasy. Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until the beef is browned and the fat has rendered. Transfer the beef to a sieve to drain the fat and set aside. If you're using ground pork, no need to brown it first.

Step 2:
In the now cleared wok or skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the white part of the green onion, and ground Sichuan peppercorns and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds to a minute.

Step 3:

Add the ground beef that you cooked earlier (or the raw ground pork if you're using that), minced prawns, minced Chinese dried mushrooms the chili bean paste, ginger/garlic mixture, fermented black beans, soy sauce, rice wine, white pepper, and sugar, and cook for another minute or two.

Step 4:

Add the tofu, green part of the green onions, cilantro/green onion mixture, chicken stock and simmer for about 15 minutes, stir occasionally and carefully so you don't break up the delicate tofu.

Step 5:

Meanwhile mix the cornstarch with some water in a small bowl and set aside. After simmering, add the cornstarch slurry and bring up to a simmer again and cook until thickened.

Serve & enjoy !