BETTER THAN TAKEOUT - Mapo Tofu Recipe

Hi everyone, welcome to Souped Up Recipes.

I'm Mandy. Today I'm going

to show you how to make Ma Po Dou Fu. The authentic way- don't expect the

western takeout style, that is not what you're getting in this video.

There are eight characteristics of a good Ma Po Dou Fu,

which are "Ma La Xian Xiang Neng Hua Chui Zen". Translated as numbing, spicy,

umami, fragrant, tender, smooth, green, and whole.

I know it may sound complicated, but trust me it's not difficult at all.

Let's get started by making the dao kou la jiao. I have here 10 to 12 pieces of red dried chilies

which I have already cut into half-inch long pieces. You can definitely adjust the

amount depending on your spice tolerance. This is Hua Jiao also known as Sichuan

peppercorns. It is not spicy at all, but it has a tingling numbing effect.

If you have never cooked with it, please use a small amount such as one teaspoon,

and see how you like it. Sichuan peppercorns can be overpowerful and ruin your dish.

These two ingredients complete two of the characteristics numbing, and spicy.

Let's toss them into the wok, and toast over low heat for a couple of minutes.

Do not burn it. Otherwise, it will bring a bitter taste.

Let it cool a little bit,

grind them finely with a blender.

The direct translation of Dao Kou La Jiao is the peppers under the blade.

Because back to the time when we didn't have blenders, the Sichuan peppercorns and the red

dried chilies are chopped with a knife which I think it's tedious, because when I go chop them,

they just jump all over my countertop. Technology saves the headaches.

The next ingredient is a Sichuan Dou Ban Jiang also known as the soul of Sichuan cuisine.

Whenever you use Sichuan Dou Ban Jiang, you always want to either chop it or blend it because those

board bean pieces are quite firm. Let me show you one. That is going to affect the texture and the

flavor of the final dish, so add 2.5 tbsp of the Sichuan Dou Ban Jiang to the same blender cup.

Follow up with 1.5 tsp of fermented black soybean, AKA douchi.

I'll link the product in the description as well. If you don't have it,

you can use 1.5 tsp of Korean soybean paste.

Continue by adding 2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine, and blend everything into a puree.

Set that aside, and we'll move on to the tofu.

Depending on the texture, tofu is classified into silken, soft, medium, firm, and extra firm.

The difference is how much water you press out

of it. The more water you press out of it, the firmer it gets.

I'm using soft tofu because I like the tenderness. Firmer tofu contains a lot

more plant-based protein as you are paying for the same weight, but less water ratio.

We'll blanch the tofu first, and bring 1.5 L of water to a boil.

Add 1/2 tsp of salt and slide the tofu.