Compared with this, Mapo Tofu might be a little bland…

Beside a deep fermented flavor of Doubanjiang Sauce, this tofu dish has a gentle sweetness from fruity peppers, as well as a touch of fresh ocean umami brought by the dried shrimp.

🥢 Main Ingredients
Fresh tofu, red sweet pepper, dried shrimp, fermented bean curd, Sichuan doubanjiang, spring onion, scallion, cooking oil

🥢 Simple Steps

1. Heat a wok hot, add a little oil. Toss in chopped spring onion and stir-fry over high heat until fragrant blooming.
2. Mix half a block of spicy Sichuan fermented bean curd, half a spoon of doubanjiang sauce and a spoonful of olive oil. Add this mixture into the wok and stir well.
3. Smell the aroma of the paste, splash in a little water to prevent sticking. Add part of the diced red pepper and stir to combine.
4. Add more water, then gently put the tofu cubes in—don’t let the water surface higher than tofu. Simmer over low heat until it boils, then sprinkle the dried shrimp in. Continue to simmer gently.
5. Once the tofu has absorbed the rich sauce, take out to a serving plate.
6. Simmer the remaining sauce until thicker, add the rest of the diced red pepper, stir quickly. As soon as the pepper aroma is released, turn off the heat. Scatter scallions on top and pour the sauce over the tofu already in plate.

Tips

Tofu is delicate. Once it has soaked up the sauce, it’s best to take out from wok before cooking too long. In that way, tofu will stay soft and bouncy, otherwise will break into crumbs.

The sweet peppers are added in two stages, each with a different effect. The first round releases sweetness into the broth. The second addition keeps their fresh and crisp.

Different ingredient has its proper timing to join the cooking process—that’s part of the real magic of cooking.