Mushroom Mapo Tofu

A vegetarian Sichuan-style mapo tofu with silky tofu, mushrooms, chilli bean paste and numbing Sichuan pepper in a savoury sauce.

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Mapo tofu is loved for its contrast of soft tofu, savoury sauce and tingling spice. This meat-free version uses mushrooms for body while keeping the classic balance of doubanjiang and Sichuan pepper.

Ingredients

• 450 g firm tofu (cut into 2 cm cubes)
• 180 g shiitake mushrooms (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang chilli bean paste
• 1 tbsp fermented black beans (rinsed and chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (finely minced)
• 15 g fresh ginger (finely minced)
• 3 spring onions (white and green parts separated)
• 350 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (toasted and ground)
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Step-by-step method

1. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a gentle simmer. Add the tofu cubes and simmer for 2 minutes, then drain carefully. This firms the surface slightly so the tofu is less likely to break later.
2. Heat a wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and mushrooms and cook for 4–5 minutes until their moisture evaporates and the edges begin to brown.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the doubanjiang, black beans, garlic, ginger and spring onion whites. Stir for about 1 minute until fragrant and the oil turns reddish.
4. Pour in the vegetable stock, light soy, dark soy and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer, then slide in the tofu and shake the pan rather than stirring hard.
5. Simmer uncovered for 5–6 minutes so the tofu absorbs the sauce. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water until smooth, then add half of it while gently swirling the pan.
6. Let the sauce bubble for 30 seconds. Add more slurry only if needed; the sauce should cling lightly to the tofu rather than become gluey.
7. Turn off the heat and add the sesame oil, ground Sichuan pepper and spring onion greens. Taste before adding extra salt because doubanjiang and soy are already salty. Serve immediately with steamed rice.