Mapo Tofu

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated chicken stock (chinese style)
• 150 ml hot water (5.07 fl oz)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sake
• 350 g firm tofu (1 pkg)
• 30 g garlic chives (1.06 oz)
• 1 pinch sichuan pepper
• 1 cup steamed rice
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 100 g ground lamb (3.53 oz)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
• 1/2 tablespoon chili bean paste (doubanjiang)
• 1 tablespoon sweet bean sauce (tian mian jiang)
• 1 tablespoon sake
• 2 teaspoons potato starch
• 1 1/3 tablespoons water

Recipe

• 1 wrap tofu w/ thick paper towel, let sit for 20 minutes to dry.
• 2 chop finely both garlic and ginger.
• 3 cut garlic chives into 1/2 inch pieces.
• 4 dissolve chicken stock in the hot water.
• 5 dissolve potato starch in water.
• 6 cut tofu horizontally into 2 pieces; then cut block into 3/4" cubes.
• 7 heat up your cooking pan, pour in sesame oil.
• 8 add lamb and brown at high heat thoroughly.
• 9 add chopped garlic and ginger, reduce heat to medium.
• 10 push aside the cooking garlic and add the chili bean paste and sweet bean sauce to cleared area of pan; fry sauces at low heat and mix together, stirring constantly to prevent burning. mix condiments and lamb together; stir fry until evenly browned.
• 11 add sake, stirring until moisture is gone.
• 12 add chicken stock, soy sauce and sake to the pan, stirring lightly.
• 13 carefully add tofu blocks to pan, gently spread blocks in pan; let boil in high heat, then reduce to medium low and let simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing tofu to soak in flavors of the sauce.
• 14 add garlic chives, mixing gently to prevent tofu blocks from breaking.
• 15 mix potato starch and water thoroughly before slowly adding it to the pan.
• 16 gently mix by sliding spatula on pan away from you.
• 17 heat on high heat for 30 seconds, then remove from heat and serve on top of rice.
• 18 optional: sprinkle on sichuan pepper for added flavor and heat!