Vegetarian mapo tofu

Mapo tofu is a Chinese Szechuan dish. It is spicy, deliciously numbing and aromatic. It is originally made with minced meat, but this vegetarian version which uses shiitake mushrooms is just as good. The mushroom taste and texture combines well with the other ingredients.

Serves 4 people
Preparation time: 30  - 40 minutes

Prepared by Guus

Ingredients

10 pcs (30 grams) dried shiitake mushrooms
300 grams silken or soft tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes (this gives a nice texture)
1 1/2 tbsp fermented black beans (dou-chi, roughly chopped)
3 spring onions (thinly sliced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp ginger (minced)
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 1/2 tbsp chili bean paste (Doubanjiang)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp ground Szechuan pepper (for the sauce) + 1/4 tsp for toppings

Preparation

1. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain and reserve this mushroom water. Slice the mushrooms into strips.

2. In a wok or a skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the mushrooms, black beans and chili bean paste. Stir-fry for around 2 minutes. Reduce to medium-heat. Add the white part of the spring onions, garlic and ginger, and stir fry for 1 minute.

3. Pour in 1 cup of the liquid from the mushroom and soy sauce, bring to a boil and let it simmer. Gently add the tofu (do not stir them too much or they will easily break). Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture (2 tbsp water + 1 tbsp cornstarch) and let it simmer until sauce is thickened. Add the sesame oil and Sichuan pepper.

Transfer and sprinkle with the chopped spring onions and freshly grounded black pepper. Serve with warm rice.

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