Mapo Tofu

Name: Mapo Tofu
Total time: 19 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: sichuan
Ingredients: 800 g Soft tofu; 60 ml Water; 20 g cornstarch; 5 g Sichuan peppercorns; 4 clove Garlic; 15 g Fresh ginger; 3 piece Spring onions; 4 piece Dried red chillies; 60 ml Vegetable oil; 60 g Doubanjiang; 20 g Fermented black beans; 15 ml Shaoxing rice wine; 300 ml Vegetable stock; 15 ml Light soy sauce; 5 g Sugar; 10 ml Sesame oil

19 min · 13 min active · makes ~1.45 kg · Medium

A vegetarian mapo tofu: silky soft tofu in a numbing chili oil with Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and ginger. Serves 4.

See more →

Mapo Tofu

A vegetarian mapo tofu: silky soft tofu in a numbing chili oil with Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and ginger. Serves 4.

See more →

TOTAL TIME

19 min

ACTIVE TIME

13 min

QUANTITY

~1.45 kg

DIFFICULTY

Medium

CUISINE

—

Who’s eating

Cooking for A typical adult.

This should leave everyone comfortably full.

Portions & fullness

Ingredients0/16

Tools0/11

Ingredients

0/16 gathered · 4 servings

800g

60ml

20g

4clove

15g

3piece

4piece

60ml

60g

20g

15ml

300ml

15ml

10ml

#	Quantity	Notes	State
1	800g	—	—
2	60ml	—	—
3	20g	—	—
4	5g	—	—
5	4clove	—	—
6	15g	—	—
7	3piece	—	—
8	4piece	—	—
9	60ml	—	—
10	60g	—	—
11	20g	—	—
12	15ml	—	—
13	300ml	—	—
14	15ml	—	—
15	5g	—	—
16	10ml	—	—

Tools

16 items

Serveware

1 item

Procedure

40 steps

1 of 40

Set the block of tofu on the chopping board.

Soft tofu · 800 g

⏱ 5s

ResultSoft tofu

2 of 40

Cut the tofu into roughly 2 cm cubes with a steady hand, working across the block.

Soft tofu · step 1

⏱ 30s

ResultTofu cubesused in step 37

3 of 40

Pour the water into the small bowl.

Water · 60 ml

⏱ 5s

ResultWater

4 of 40

Add the cornstarch to the small bowl with the water.

Cornstarch · 20 g

⏱ 5s

ResultWater and cornstarch

5 of 40

Stir the cornstarch and water together until the powder is fully dissolved and no lumps remain.

⏱ 15s

ResultCornstarch slurryused in step 39

6 of 40

Tip the Sichuan peppercorns into the small dry frying pan.

Sichuan peppercorns · 5 g

⏱ 5s

ResultSichuan peppercorns

7 of 40

Toast the peppercorns over a medium heat, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and a shade darker — watch them closely so they do not burn.

⏱ 1 min 30s

ResultToasted Sichuan Peppercorns

8 of 40

Tip the toasted peppercorns into a small bowl and grind them to a coarse powder with a pestle.

Toasted Sichuan Peppercorns · step 7

⏱ 30s

ResultGround Sichuan pepperused in step 42

9 of 40

Lay the garlic cloves on the chopping board.

Garlic · 4 clove

⏱ 5s

ResultGarlic

10 of 40

Crush each clove lightly with the flat of the knife to loosen the skin, then slip the skins off and discard them.

Garlic · step 9

⏱ 20s

ResultPeeled garlic cloves

11 of 40

Finely chop the peeled garlic cloves into a fine mince, rocking the knife back and forth over the pile.

Peeled garlic cloves · step 10

⏱ 40s

ResultFinely chopped garlic

12 of 40

Scrape the chopped garlic into a small bowl and set aside.

Finely chopped garlic · step 11

⏱ 5s

ResultFinely chopped garlic

13 of 40

Place the piece of fresh ginger on the chopping board.

Fresh ginger · 15 g

⏱ 5s

ResultFresh ginger

14 of 40

Scrape the skin from the ginger using the peeler, working around any knobbles.

Fresh ginger · step 13

⏱ 20s

ResultPeeled fresh ginger

15 of 40

Finely chop the peeled ginger into a fine mince.

Peeled fresh ginger · step 14

⏱ 40s

ResultFinely chopped ginger

16 of 40

Scrape the chopped ginger in with the garlic and set the bowl aside.

Finely chopped ginger · step 15

⏱ 5s

ResultFinely chopped garlic and finely chopped gingerused in step 30

17 of 40

Lay the spring onions on the chopping board.

Spring onions · 3 piece

⏱ 5s

ResultSpring onions

18 of 40

Trim the root end and any ragged outer layer from each spring onion with the knife and discard.

Spring onions · step 17

⏱ 20s

ResultPeeled spring onions

19 of 40

Slice the trimmed spring onions thinly on a slight angle, keeping the white and green parts together.

Peeled spring onions · step 18

⏱ 30s

ResultThinly sliced spring onions

20 of 40

Tip the sliced spring onions into a small bowl and set aside.

Thinly sliced spring onions · step 19

⏱ 5s

ResultThinly sliced spring onionsused in step 43

21 of 40

Lay the dried red chillies on the chopping board.

Dried red chillies · 4 piece

⏱ 5s

ResultDried red chillies

22 of 40

Roughly chop the dried chillies into small pieces, discarding any large seed clusters if you prefer less heat.

Dried red chillies · step 21

⏱ 20s

ResultRoughly chopped dried chillies

23 of 40

Scrape the chopped chillies into a small bowl and set aside.

Roughly chopped dried chillies · step 22

⏱ 5s

ResultRoughly chopped dried chilliesused in step 29

24 of 40

Pour the vegetable oil into the wok.

Vegetable oil · 60 ml

⏱ 5s

ResultVegetable oil

25 of 40

Set the wok over a high heat and warm the oil until it shimmers and a wooden spoon dipped in shows small bubbles.

⏱ 1 min

ResultHot oil

26 of 40

Add the doubanjiang to the hot oil in the wok.

Doubanjiang · 60 g

⏱ 5s

ResultHot oil and doubanjiang

27 of 40

Stir-fry the doubanjiang over a medium-high heat, pressing it against the wok to help it fry, until the oil turns a deep brick-red and the paste smells richly spiced.

⏱ 2 min

ResultFragrant doubanjiang base

28 of 40

Add the fermented black beans to the wok.

Fermented black beans · 20 g

⏱ 5s

ResultFragrant doubanjiang base and fermented black beans

29 of 40

Tip in the chopped dried chillies.

Roughly chopped dried chillies · step 23

⏱ 5s

ResultRoughly chopped dried chillies and fragrant doubanjiang base and fermented black beans

30 of 40

Add the finely chopped garlic and ginger to the wok.

Finely chopped garlic and finely chopped ginger · step 16

⏱ 5s

ResultFermented black bean mixture

31 of 40

Stir-fry everything together over a medium heat for about a minute until the garlic and ginger are fragrant and cooked through but not browned.

⏱ 1 min

ResultAromatic paste

32 of 40

Pour the Shaoxing wine around the edge of the wok so it sizzles as it hits the hot surface.

Shaoxing rice wine · 15 ml

⏱ 5s

ResultAromatic paste and shaoxing rice wine

33 of 40

Pour the vegetable stock into the wok and stir to combine with the paste.

Vegetable stock · 300 ml

⏱ 5s

ResultAromatic paste and shaoxing rice wine and vegetable stock

34 of 40

Add the light soy sauce to the wok.

Light soy sauce · 15 ml

⏱ 5s

ResultShaoxing rice wine mixture

35 of 40

Add the sugar to the wok.

Sugar · 5 g

⏱ 5s

ResultShaoxing rice wine mixture

36 of 40

Stir well to dissolve the sugar and bring everything together into a cohesive, seasoned broth.

⏱ 15s

ResultSeasoned broth

37 of 40

Gently slide the tofu cubes into the simmering broth, disturbing them as little as possible.

Tofu cubes · step 2

⏱ 10s

ResultTofu cubes and seasoned broth

38 of 40

Let the tofu simmer gently over a medium-low heat, nudging the pieces occasionally with a spoon rather than stirring, so they absorb the flavours without breaking apart.

⏱ 3 min

ResultTofu in spiced broth

39 of 40

Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir, then pour it in a thin stream around the edge of the wok, gently folding it through until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu.

Cornstarch slurry · step 5

⏱ 20s

ResultThickened mapo tofu

40 of 40

Drizzle the sesame oil over the surface of the dish.

Sesame oil · 10 ml

⏱ 5s

ResultThickened mapo tofu and sesame oil

Total Time19 min

#	Product	Action
1	800 g	Set the block of tofu on the chopping board.⏱ 5sResultSoft tofu
2	Soft tofustep 1	Cut the tofu into roughly 2 cm cubes with a steady hand, working across the block.⏱ 30sResultTofu cubesused in step 37
3	60 ml	Pour the water into the small bowl.⏱ 5sResultWater
4	20 g	Add the cornstarch to the small bowl with the water.⏱ 5sResultWater and cornstarch
5	—	Stir the cornstarch and water together until the powder is fully dissolved and no lumps remain.⏱ 15sResultCornstarch slurryused in step 39
6	5 g	Tip the Sichuan peppercorns into the small dry frying pan.⏱ 5sResultSichuan peppercorns
7	—	Toast the peppercorns over a medium heat, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and a shade darker — watch them closely so they do not burn.⏱ 1 min 30sResultToasted Sichuan Peppercorns
8	Toasted Sichuan Peppercornsstep 7	Tip the toasted peppercorns into a small bowl and grind them to a coarse powder with a pestle.⏱ 30sResultGround Sichuan pepperused in step 42
9	4 clove	Lay the garlic cloves on the chopping board.⏱ 5sResultGarlic
10	Garlicstep 9	Crush each clove lightly with the flat of the knife to loosen the skin, then slip the skins off and discard them.⏱ 20sResultPeeled garlic cloves
11	Peeled garlic clovesstep 10	Finely chop the peeled garlic cloves into a fine mince, rocking the knife back and forth over the pile.⏱ 40sResultFinely chopped garlic
12	Finely chopped garlicstep 11	Scrape the chopped garlic into a small bowl and set aside.⏱ 5sResultFinely chopped garlic
13	15 g	Place the piece of fresh ginger on the chopping board.⏱ 5sResultFresh ginger
14	Fresh gingerstep 13	Scrape the skin from the ginger using the peeler, working around any knobbles.⏱ 20sResultPeeled fresh ginger
15	Peeled fresh gingerstep 14	Finely chop the peeled ginger into a fine mince.⏱ 40sResultFinely chopped ginger
16	Finely chopped gingerstep 15	Scrape the chopped ginger in with the garlic and set the bowl aside.⏱ 5sResultFinely chopped garlic and finely chopped gingerused in step 30
17	3 piece	Lay the spring onions on the chopping board.⏱ 5sResultSpring onions
18	Spring onionsstep 17	Trim the root end and any ragged outer layer from each spring onion with the knife and discard.⏱ 20sResultPeeled spring onions
19	Peeled spring onionsstep 18	Slice the trimmed spring onions thinly on a slight angle, keeping the white and green parts together.⏱ 30sResultThinly sliced spring onions
20	Thinly sliced spring onionsstep 19	Tip the sliced spring onions into a small bowl and set aside.⏱ 5sResultThinly sliced spring onionsused in step 43
21	4 piece	Lay the dried red chillies on the chopping board.⏱ 5sResultDried red chillies
22	Dried red chilliesstep 21	Roughly chop the dried chillies into small pieces, discarding any large seed clusters if you prefer less heat.⏱ 20sResultRoughly chopped dried chillies
23	Roughly chopped dried chilliesstep 22	Scrape the chopped chillies into a small bowl and set aside.⏱ 5sResultRoughly chopped dried chilliesused in step 29
24	60 ml	Pour the vegetable oil into the wok.⏱ 5sResultVegetable oil
25	—	Set the wok over a high heat and warm the oil until it shimmers and a wooden spoon dipped in shows small bubbles.⏱ 1 minResultHot oil
26	60 g	Add the doubanjiang to the hot oil in the wok.⏱ 5sResultHot oil and doubanjiang
27	—	Stir-fry the doubanjiang over a medium-high heat, pressing it against the wok to help it fry, until the oil turns a deep brick-red and the paste smells richly spiced.⏱ 2 minResultFragrant doubanjiang base
28	20 g	Add the fermented black beans to the wok.⏱ 5sResultFragrant doubanjiang base and fermented black beans
29	Roughly chopped dried chilliesstep 23	Tip in the chopped dried chillies.⏱ 5sResultRoughly chopped dried chillies and fragrant doubanjiang base and fermented black beans
30	Finely chopped garlic and finely chopped gingerstep 16	Add the finely chopped garlic and ginger to the wok.⏱ 5sResultFermented black bean mixture
31	—	Stir-fry everything together over a medium heat for about a minute until the garlic and ginger are fragrant and cooked through but not browned.⏱ 1 minResultAromatic paste
32	15 ml	Pour the Shaoxing wine around the edge of the wok so it sizzles as it hits the hot surface.⏱ 5sResultAromatic paste and shaoxing rice wine
33	300 ml	Pour the vegetable stock into the wok and stir to combine with the paste.⏱ 5sResultAromatic paste and shaoxing rice wine and vegetable stock
34	15 ml	Add the light soy sauce to the wok.⏱ 5sResultShaoxing rice wine mixture
35	5 g	Add the sugar to the wok.⏱ 5sResultShaoxing rice wine mixture
36	—	Stir well to dissolve the sugar and bring everything together into a cohesive, seasoned broth.⏱ 15sResultSeasoned broth
37	Tofu cubesstep 2	Gently slide the tofu cubes into the simmering broth, disturbing them as little as possible.⏱ 10sResultTofu cubes and seasoned broth
38	—	Let the tofu simmer gently over a medium-low heat, nudging the pieces occasionally with a spoon rather than stirring, so they absorb the flavours without breaking apart.⏱ 3 minResultTofu in spiced broth
39	Cornstarch slurrystep 5	Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir, then pour it in a thin stream around the edge of the wok, gently folding it through until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu.⏱ 20sResultThickened mapo tofu
40	10 ml	Drizzle the sesame oil over the surface of the dish.⏱ 5sResultThickened mapo tofu and sesame oil
Total Time		19 min

Serving

Ladle the mapo tofu into a serving bowl, taking care to keep the tofu cubes whole.
Spoon the ground Sichuan pepper evenly over the surface of the dish.
Scatter the sliced spring onions over the top to finish.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated · pre-cooking · 100% ingredients covered

Nutrient	Per serving
	355kcal
	14g
	23g
	4g
	20g
	4g
	3g
	1,583mg

Ingredients0/16

Tools0/11

Recipe

Mapo Tofu

A vegetarian mapo tofu: silky soft tofu in a numbing chili oil with Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and ginger. Serves 4.

What you’ll doYou will prepare tofu and aromatics separately, then build a sauce in the wok by frying bean paste and spices until fragrant, add stock and tofu to simmer gently, thicken with cornstarch slurry, and finish with sesame oil and Sichuan pepper. The tofu needs careful handling to stay intact, and the aromatics must not brown.

Serves4

Total19 min

LevelMedium

Ingredients

Soft tofu800 g
Water60 ml
Cornstarch20 g
Sichuan peppercorns5 g
Garlic4 clove
Fresh ginger15 g
Spring onions3 piece
Dried red chillies4 piece
Vegetable oil60 ml
Doubanjiang60 g
Fermented black beans20 g
Shaoxing rice wine15 ml
Vegetable stock300 ml
Light soy sauce15 ml
Sugar5 g
Sesame oil10 ml

Tools

Small frying panSpoonWokPestle and mortarCornstarch slurry bowl (small bowl)Ground sichuan bowl (small bowl)Garlic bowl (small bowl)Spring onions bowl (small bowl)Dried chillies bowl (small bowl)Chef's knifeWooden spoonPeelerLadleServing bowlChopping boardMortar pestle

Method

Set the block of tofu on the chopping board.

5sChopping boardSoft tofu · 800 g

Cut the tofu into roughly 2 cm cubes with a steady hand, working across the block.

Result · Tofu cubes · used in step 37

30sChopping board, Chefs knifeSoft tofu · step 1

Pour the water into the small bowl.

5sCornstarch slurry bowl (small bowl)Water · 60 ml

Add the cornstarch to the small bowl with the water.

5sCornstarch slurry bowl (small bowl)Cornstarch · 20 g

Stir the cornstarch and water together until the powder is fully dissolved and no lumps remain.

Result · Cornstarch slurry · used in step 39

15sCornstarch slurry bowl (small bowl), Spoon

Tip the Sichuan peppercorns into the small dry frying pan.

5sSmall frying panSichuan peppercorns · 5 g

Toast the peppercorns over a medium heat, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and a shade darker — watch them closely so they do not burn.

1 min 30sSmall frying pan

Tip the toasted peppercorns into a small bowl and grind them to a coarse powder with a pestle.

Result · Ground Sichuan pepper · used in step 42

30sGround sichuan bowl (small bowl), Mortar pestleToasted Sichuan Peppercorns · step 7

Lay the garlic cloves on the chopping board.

5sChopping boardGarlic · 4 clove

Crush each clove lightly with the flat of the knife to loosen the skin, then slip the skins off and discard them.

20sChopping board, Chefs knifeGarlic · step 9

Finely chop the peeled garlic cloves into a fine mince, rocking the knife back and forth over the pile.

40sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled garlic cloves · step 10

Scrape the chopped garlic into a small bowl and set aside.

5sGarlic bowl (small bowl)Finely chopped garlic · step 11

Place the piece of fresh ginger on the chopping board.

5sChopping boardFresh ginger · 15 g

Scrape the skin from the ginger using the peeler, working around any knobbles.

20sChopping board, PeelerFresh ginger · step 13

Finely chop the peeled ginger into a fine mince.

40sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled fresh ginger · step 14

Scrape the chopped ginger in with the garlic and set the bowl aside.

Result · Finely chopped garlic and finely chopped ginger · used in step 30

5sGarlic bowl (small bowl)Finely chopped ginger · step 15

Lay the spring onions on the chopping board.

5sChopping boardSpring onions · 3 piece

Trim the root end and any ragged outer layer from each spring onion with the knife and discard.

20sChopping board, Chefs knifeSpring onions · step 17

Slice the trimmed spring onions thinly on a slight angle, keeping the white and green parts together.

30sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled spring onions · step 18

Tip the sliced spring onions into a small bowl and set aside.

Result · Thinly sliced spring onions · used in step 43

5sSpring onions bowl (small bowl)Thinly sliced spring onions · step 19

Lay the dried red chillies on the chopping board.

5sChopping boardDried red chillies · 4 piece

Roughly chop the dried chillies into small pieces, discarding any large seed clusters if you prefer less heat.

20sChopping board, Chefs knifeDried red chillies · step 21

Scrape the chopped chillies into a small bowl and set aside.

Result · Roughly chopped dried chillies · used in step 29

5sDried chillies bowl (small bowl)Roughly chopped dried chillies · step 22

Pour the vegetable oil into the wok.

5sWokVegetable oil · 60 ml

Set the wok over a high heat and warm the oil until it shimmers and a wooden spoon dipped in shows small bubbles.

1 minWok, Wooden spoon

Add the doubanjiang to the hot oil in the wok.

5sWokDoubanjiang · 60 g

Stir-fry the doubanjiang over a medium-high heat, pressing it against the wok to help it fry, until the oil turns a deep brick-red and the paste smells richly spiced.

2 minWok, Wooden spoon

Add the fermented black beans to the wok.

5sWokFermented black beans · 20 g

Tip in the chopped dried chillies.

5sWokRoughly chopped dried chillies · step 23

Add the finely chopped garlic and ginger to the wok.

5sWokFinely chopped garlic and finely chopped ginger · step 16

Stir-fry everything together over a medium heat for about a minute until the garlic and ginger are fragrant and cooked through but not browned.

1 minWok, Wooden spoon

Pour the Shaoxing wine around the edge of the wok so it sizzles as it hits the hot surface.

5sWokShaoxing rice wine · 15 ml

Pour the vegetable stock into the wok and stir to combine with the paste.

5sWokVegetable stock · 300 ml

Add the light soy sauce to the wok.

5sWokLight soy sauce · 15 ml

Add the sugar to the wok.

5sWokSugar · 5 g

Stir well to dissolve the sugar and bring everything together into a cohesive, seasoned broth.

15sWok, Wooden spoon

Gently slide the tofu cubes into the simmering broth, disturbing them as little as possible.

10sWokTofu cubes · step 2

Let the tofu simmer gently over a medium-low heat, nudging the pieces occasionally with a spoon rather than stirring, so they absorb the flavours without breaking apart.

3 minWok, Spoon

Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir, then pour it in a thin stream around the edge of the wok, gently folding it through until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu.

20sWok, Wooden spoonCornstarch slurry · step 5

Drizzle the sesame oil over the surface of the dish.

5sWokSesame oil · 10 ml

Ladle the mapo tofu into a serving bowl, taking care to keep the tofu cubes whole.

20sServing bowl, LadleThickened mapo tofu and sesame oil · step 40

Spoon the ground Sichuan pepper evenly over the surface of the dish.

10sServing bowlGround Sichuan pepper · step 8

Scatter the sliced spring onions over the top to finish.

Result · Mapo Tofu

10sServing bowlThinly sliced spring onions · step 20

Printed 10 October 2026