Mapo Tofu [Five-Flavor Harmony Edition]
I happened to see an episode of 'Cooking Master Boy' from my childhood, where they made 'glowing' six-flavored Mapo Tofu. It looked quite convincing, so I followed a similar method to make this five-flavor version. The sixth flavor in the show was 'crispiness,' achieved by replacing meat with soybeans, but I opted for a slightly simplified version.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare main ingredients: minced meat, tofu, Pixian Doubanjiang, fermented black beans, green garlic, garlic, chili powder, and Sichuan peppercorn powder.
Prepare the tofu: Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes. Soak the tofu in salted boiling water for 5 minutes to firm it up and warm it through.
Prepare the other ingredients: Mix the minced meat with 1 tbsp cooking wine and a pinch of salt to marinate. Crush the garlic, mash the fermented black beans, and finely chop the green garlic.
Heat slightly more oil than usual in a wok and stir-fry the minced meat.
When the meat starts to brown, add the Doubanjiang and stir-fry until the oil turns red.
Once the red oil appears, add the fermented black beans, garlic paste, and chili powder. This introduces the first flavor: 'spiciness.'
After mixing well, add a small amount of broth (or water), along with light soy sauce, salt, and a bit of sugar for seasoning.
Add the drained tofu cubes. Avoid stirring with a spatula—gently shake the wok instead to prevent breaking the tofu.
Add the chopped green garlic for the second flavor: 'fragrance.' The contrast between the red chili, white tofu, and green garlic creates the third flavor: 'color.'
Simmer for 2 minutes, then add half of the starch slurry (mixed with water). Once it thickens, add the remaining slurry. Cook over high heat until the oil surfaces—this brings out the fourth flavor: 'heat.'
Finally, generously sprinkle Sichuan peppercorn powder for the fifth flavor: 'numbing.' Garnish with remaining green garlic. The Five-Flavor Harmony Mapo Tofu is ready!