TSY Food Chinese Spicy Sauce Mapo Tofu with Doubanjiang Ultimate Guide

TSY Food Chinese Spicy Sauce Mapo Tofu with Doubanjiang Ultimate Guide

I. Ingredients List (for 2-3 People)

Core ingredients

Tofu: 400 grams of soft tofu/southern tofu (gypsum tofu is preferred)

Minced meat: 100 grams of ground pork (with a fat-to-lean ratio of 3:7, or ground beef)

Soul Sauce

TSY Food Pixian Broad Bean Paste 1.5-2 tablespoons (core!)

1 tablespoon of douchi (chopped)

TSY Food Chili Powder/Korean Chili Powder 1 teaspoon (for color and aroma)

TSY Food Sichuan pepper powder 1-2 teaspoons (freshly ground is preferred)

Seasoning ingredients

Liquid seasoning

TSY Food light soy sauce 1 tablespoon

TSY Food Dark Soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon (for coloring)

1 tablespoon cooking wine

1 teaspoon of white sugar (Balance the spiciness, key!)

Water starch

1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch

3 tablespoons of clear water

Stock/water: approximately 200 milliliters

Spices and seasonings

Base ingredients

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of minced ginger

1 tablespoon of chopped scallion white

Decoration

2 green garlic sprouts/chopped scallions (cut into sections)

TSY Food Sichuan Pepper Oil 1 teaspoon (Just before serving)

Oils

3 tablespoons of rapeseed oil or vegetable oil

A little TSY Food sesame oil (optional)

Ii. Detailed Step-by-step Breakdown

The first step: Preparatory work

Dealing with tofu (Key steps!) :

Cut the tofu into 1.5cm square pieces

Boil water in a pot and add 1 teaspoon of salt

Add the tofu cubes and simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes

Drain and dry. Do not rinse with cold water (keep warm).

Preparation of materials

Chop Pixian broad bean paste and douchi finely (to release the flavor)

Keep all the seasonings at hand (the process needs to be quick)

Prepare the water starch well

Step 2: Stir-fry the minced meat and base ingredients

Heat the pan with cold oil

Heat the pan and add 3 tablespoons of oil

Heat the oil to about 50% hot (approximately 150°C) and add the minced meat

Stir-fry the minced meat

Stir-fry over medium heat until it changes color

Pour in cooking wine to remove the fishy smell

Stir-fry until slightly golden brown, then remove and set aside

Stir-fry the base sauce until fragrant

Use the remaining oil in the pan (a little more oil can be added)

Add the minced broad bean paste and black bean sauce over low heat

Stir-fry until the oil turns red (about 1 minute)

Add minced ginger, minced garlic and minced scallion whites and stir-fry until fragrant

Step 3: Cook the tofu

Mixed seasoning

Put the minced meat back into the pot

Stir-fry quickly and evenly after adding the chili powder

Pour in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar and stir-fry evenly

Add liquid

Pour in the stock or water

Boil over high heat

Add tofu

Gently slide it into the blanched tofu cubes

Gently mix with the back of a spoon (do not stir-fry!)"

After boiling, turn to medium-low heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes

Step 4: Thicken and reduce the sauce (Key!)"

The first thickening:

Pour half of the water starch along the edge of the pot

Gently push until the soup thickens slightly

Second thickening:

Pour in the remaining water starch after one minute

The soup should be bright red and coat the tofu

Final seasoning:

Sprinkle in two-thirds of the Sichuan pepper powder

Pour in the Sichuan pepper oil

Add the green garlic sprout segments

Step 5: Serve on a plate

Slide the tofu into a deep plate (while maintaining its shape)

Sprinkle on the surface

Remaining Sichuan pepper powder

A little chopped scallion for decoration

Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil to add luster

Iii. Detailed Explanation of the "Eight-Character Mantra" for Mapo Tofu

Key points for operating the meaning of the mantra

The numbing flavor of Sichuan pepper should be added in two portions: during the cooking process and just before serving

The spicy Pixian broad bean paste in the spicy broad bean paste must be stir-fried until the oil turns red

The heating temperature should be high. Preheat the deep plate and bring it to a boil before serving

Stir-fry the minced meat until it is crispy and fragrant until slightly charred, absorbing the aroma of the sauce

The tender tofu is smooth, blanched and set, and won't flip when gently pushed

The overall fresh and flavorful stock replaces water, and white sugar enhances the freshness

The aroma is a complex blend of broad bean paste, black bean sauce, garlic and ginger

The living color is bright red with oil floating on the surface, and the thickening sauce is rich and lustrous

Iv. Authentic Sichuan Flavor Adjustment Guide

Spiciness ladder

Entry-level: 1 tablespoon of broad bean paste, without chili powder

Standard version: The above formula

Hellish level: Add 1 teaspoon of knife-edge chili peppers (fried dried chili peppers)

Madu Staircase

Slightly numbing: 1 teaspoon of Sichuan pepper powder

Medium sesame: 2 teaspoons of Sichuan pepper powder + Sichuan pepper oil

Heavy sesame: Add an extra 1 teaspoon of green pepper powder

Regional variant

Chengdu version: Heavily relies on Douban, with a moderate level of numbness

Chongqing version: Reuse Sichuan pepper, with a higher spiciness

Taiwan version: Add sweet bean sauce, slightly sweet and spicy

Japanese version: Add miso, less oil and less spiciness

V. Time Schedule

Time operation preparation state

Blanch the tofu for 15 minutes, drain it and preheat it to complete

After 10 minutes, all the ingredients are cut and prepared to enter the cooking stage

During the 0-3 minutes stir-frying of minced meat and the stage when the aroma of the base seasonings is brought out

Cook the tofu for 4 to 7 minutes until the flavors blend together

The stage of thickening, reducing the sauce and setting is completed in 8 to 9 minutes

The best time to serve and plate it is 10 minutes

Vi. Common Problems and Solutions

Question 1: Tofu is fragile

Reason: Overstir-frying or the tofu is too tender

Solution: Blanch to set the shape and gently push it with the back of a spoon

Question 2: The soup is not bright red

Reason: The broad bean paste was not stir-fried thoroughly or there was not enough oil

Solution: Stir-fry the broad bean paste over low heat until red oil comes out. The amount of oil should be sufficient

Question 3: The taste is monotonous

Reason: Lack of douchi or insufficient sugar

Solution: Add black bean sauce to enhance the richness and sugar to balance the spiciness

Question 4: The sauce is too thick or too thin

Reason: The ratio of water to starch or the timing is inappropriate

Solution: Thicken the sauce in two portions and adjust it according to the state of the soup

Vii. Perfect Matching Suggestions

Main food pairing

Classic combination: White rice (hard glutinous rice is the best)

Innovative way of eating: Mixed noodles/rice Noodles (Mapo Tofu Noodles)

Low-carbon options: cauliflower rice or konjac rice

Suggested side dishes

Relieve greasiness and clear the mouth

Shredded Cucumber with Sauce

Blanched lettuce

Balanced taste

Tomato and egg soup

Seaweed and tofu soup

Upgrade package

Mapo Tofu + Shredded Pork in Garlic Sauce + rice = a double combination of Sichuan flavors

Mapo Tofu + Dan Dan Noodles = a double of spicy and numbing flavors

Drink pairing

Chinese style: chrysanthemum tea, oolong tea

Western-style: Chilled beer, plum soup

Tradition: Sichuan Eagle Tea

Viii. Teaching on Authentic Eating Methods

One spoonful, three pieces

One spoonful contains: tofu + minced meat + soup

Pour it evenly over the hot rice

Temperature control

The first bite: Experience the heat and spiciness

Follow-up: Mix the rice to balance the taste

Best time to consume

Consume within 5 minutes after being taken out of the pot

Tofu has strong heat retention. Be careful not to burn your mouth

Summary of the Ultimate Secret

Douban must-chop: Releases fermented aroma and red oil

Tofu must be blanched to remove the fishy smell and shape it

Double thickening: The first time locks in the flavor, and the second time forms a coating

Sugar is indispensable: It balances the salty and spicy flavors and enhances the umami taste

Hot oil topping: Finally, drizzle a spoonful of hot oil to bring out the aroma

Remember: Genuine Mapo tofu should be a work of art that integrates the eight flavors of "numbing, spicy, hot, crispy, tender, fresh, fragrant and lively"! Now, pick up your white rice and get ready to embrace this spicy and numbing storm for your taste buds!

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