Mapo Tofu with Minced Beef and Sichuan Pepper

Mapo Tofu is a Sichuan classic made with silky tofu and a spicy minced meat sauce with Sichuan pepper and chili. Serve it with simple jasmine rice.

By yumbelo · 2 servings · 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 400 g silken tofu
• 200 g ground beef
• 2 EL cooking oil
• 2 Stück spring onions
• 2 Stück garlic cloves
• 1 TL ginger, grated
• 1 EL spicy broad bean paste (doubanjiang)
• 2 EL soy sauce
• 1 TL chili flakes
• 1 TL Sichuan pepper, ground
• 150 ml water
• 1 TL sugar
• 1 TL cornstarch
• 150 g jasmine rice
• salt

Method

1. Cook the jasmine rice according to the package instructions and keep it warm.
2. Cut the spring onions into thin rings, setting the white and green parts aside separately. Finely chop the garlic.
3. Cut the tofu into 2 cm cubes and let them sit briefly in lightly salted water, then drain.
4. Heat the cooking oil in a wok and fry the ground beef until crumbly and browned.
5. Add the white parts of the spring onions, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for one minute until fragrant.
6. Stir in the bean paste and chili flakes and toast briefly until the oil glows red.
7. Pour in the water, soy sauce and sugar and bring to a boil.
8. Gently fold in the tofu and simmer for five minutes, stirring no more than necessary.
9. Stir the cornstarch smoothly into a tablespoon of cold water, stir it into the sauce and bring briefly to a boil until it lightly thickens.
10. Season with salt, sprinkle the Sichuan pepper over the top and serve with the rice, garnished with the green spring onions.