Mapo tofu with mushrooms

Votes: 1

Time: 1 hour.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Nutritional value per serving:

Calories 285, total fat 19 G., saturated fats 2 G., proteins 11 G., carbohydrates 21 G., fiber 3 G., cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 472 mg, sugar 3 G.

Although this Sichuan dish is traditionally made with ground pork, most of its flavor and texture comes from the spicy bean paste, soft tofu, and, of course, Sichuan peppercorns. So, you can easily substitute mushrooms for the meat without sacrificing flavor. This vegan version of mapo tofu is made with dried shiitake mushrooms. If you can't find dried ones, use fresh shiitake or brown button mushrooms. Serve mapo tofu with white rice, which quickly soaks up the delicious sauce, making it a delicious dish.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

60 g dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed (or 280 g fresh shiitake mushrooms or button mushrooms; see Note)
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 tbsp. chopped ginger
1 tbsp douchi (fermented black soybeans), chopped
1 tbsp + 1.5 tsp doubanjiang (spicy bean paste)
1 tsp ground Sichuan pepper + extra for serving
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 dried chili, such as Thai, finely chopped, optional (see Note)
450 g soft tofu, cut into 2.5 cm cubes.
1 tbsp soy sauce
0.5 tsp sugar
2 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally
0.5 tsp. dark sesame oil

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: tofu, shiitake mushrooms, ginger root, soy sauce, starch, Sichuan pepper, sesame oil, green onions

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a small saucepan, cover with 2 cups of cold water, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes to allow the mushrooms to plump up.
Squeeze out excess water from the mushrooms, cut off and discard the stems, and finely chop the caps. Measure out the mushroom liquid and add enough cold water to make 1.5 cups.

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth; set aside.
In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, ginger, douchi, doubanjiang, ground Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and dried chili, if using, and cook until bright red, about 1 minute.
Add the mushroom liquid to the wok, scraping up any browned bits. Gently stir in the tofu and bring to a boil. Add the soy sauce and sugar, then add the cornstarch paste and half the green onions. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce is glossy, about 1 minute.
Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining green onions and, if desired, add Sichuan peppercorns. Drizzle with dark sesame oil.

Note

If you are using fresh mushrooms instead of dried, skip the soaking step and replace the liquid with any vegetable broth or water.

The taste of the dish is quite mild, so you can add more pepper.