Hey guys! It’s Carlos again! I know it’s been a while but Im back again with another recipe! Today we’re making an Omerta favorite, Mapo Tofu! A little known fact about us is that we absolutely LOVE Szechuan food! And this dish being one of our favorites along with spicy crispy chicken, twice cooked pork and many more! But here’s a twist. I wanted to make this dish a little healthier by not adding as much oil and fat. Not only is this a super spicy and tasty dish, it’s also super easy to make!
Here’s what you need!
- 1 lbs ground chicken
- 6-7 large diced shiitake mushrooms
- 3-4 minced large cloves of garlic
- 1 tbs of minced ginger
- 1 tbs bloomed szechuan peppercorn
- 2 tbs of chili oil
- 2 tbs doubanjiang (spicy fermented soybean paste)
- 1 pack of diced medium firm tofu
- 3-4 tbs of dark soy sauce
- 1 tbs brown rice syrup (can be substituted with any other sweetener as long as it can be easily diluted)
- 1 1/2 cup of chicken broth (bone broth preferably)
- 2 tbs cornstarch
- 1 tsp of sherry wine (or sake)
- Sliced green onions to garnish
*You can bloom the peppercorns by adding some oil to a medium hot pan and tossing them around a little until you can see them open. This is essential because it’s what makes the iconic Szechuan flavor pop. You can take the peppercorns out OR you can grind them up and put it back in for the extra Mala flavor.*
First, mix your chili oil with the doubanjiang to create the sauce Then, by bringing a large deep pan to a medium heat and add some oil to cook your ground chicken and add seasoning to taste. Just like last time, be sure not to over cook your chicken! Once you cook to where there’s no visible pink, transfer to a bowl and move to the side.
Then add your mushrooms. Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes then throw in your garlic and ginger. Stir for another 2-3 minutes and add your sauce mixture. This needs to cook for at another 2-3 minutes. Be sure to have some tissue near by because the sneeze attacks are bound to happen. By cooking the chili oil, doubanjiang and peppercorns, it will create super aromatic cloud so beware to those who are sensitive to smells.
Once homogenous, add your chicken back to the mix. Once mixed into the sauce, add your diced tofu. Be sure not to stir too vigorously because the tofu will break into smaller pieces and will defeat the purpose on the dish. While this cooks, in a separate bowl add your chicken broth and corn starch and whisk together until the cornstarch is dissolved. This is what gives mapo tofu it’s texture. Once mixed, add into the pan and add your dark soy sauce and brown rice syrup to taste. Let this cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the liquid has thickened.
And that’s my version of Mapo Tofu but with a twist! You can serve this on top of white rice, noodles or just about anything really! Hope you guys enjoy!
