Name: Mushroom mapo tofu
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 18 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 400g fresh firm tofu block; 2 tbsp rapeseed oil; 2 garlic cloves finely chopped; 2.5cm piece ginger peeled and finely grated; 1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped; 150g fresh shitake mushrooms sliced to 1cm strips; 1 tsp dry toasted whole Sichuan pepper; 1 tbsp chilli bean paste; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce; 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry; 250ml cold vegetable stock or mushroom stock; 2 tbsp Chinkiang black rice vinegar; 2 tbsp tamari or low-sodium light soy sauce; 1 heaped tbsp cornflour; large pinch of toasted ground Sichuan pepper to garnish; 3 spring onions trimmed and sliced

Mushroom mapo tofu in a bowl with chopsticks

400g fresh firm tofu
block
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 garlic cloves
finely chopped
2.5cm piece ginger
peeled and finely grated
1 red chilli
deseeded and finely chopped
150g fresh shitake mushrooms
sliced to 1cm strips
1 tsp dry toasted whole Sichuan pepper
1 tbsp chilli bean paste
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
or dry sherry

For the sauce

250ml cold vegetable stock
or mushroom stock
2 tbsp Chinkiang black rice vinegar
2 tbsp tamari
or low-sodium light soy sauce
1 heaped tbsp cornflour

To serve

large pinch of toasted ground Sichuan pepper
to garnish
3 spring onions
trimmed and sliced

Method

step 1
Drain the tofu and press gently with kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture. Alternatively, you could place the tofu on a clean tea towel, place a clean medium chopping board over the top and leave for 10 mins to press out any excess moisture. Slice into 1.5 x 1.5cm sized chunks.
step 2
Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a jug.
step 3
Heat a wok over a high heat and drizzle in the rapeseed oil. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies and stir for a few seconds. Tip in the mushrooms and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the Sichuan pepper and the tofu, gently stirring. Add the chilli bean paste and dark soy sauce, followed by the Shaoxing rice wine or sherry. Pour in the sauce ingredients, stir everything to combine, and bring to the bubble, cooking for 1 min.
step 4
Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle over the ground toasted Sichuan pepper and spring onions to serve.