Ma Po taufu is a spicy dish from the Sichuan Province of China. The defining taste of this dish comes from a Sichuan sauce called doubanjiang (豆瓣酱; pinyin: dòubànjiàng) which is a paste made from fermented broadbean, soybean and chilli (most famed are the doubanjiang from Pixian, Sichuan). The sauce is used to fry with a mince meat, traditionally beef. It is meant to spicy hot (hence the deep red colour of the dish). But beyond spicy, like most dishes from Sichuan, Ma Po Taufu has a mala characteristic. Mala is the Chinese term which describes a numbing sensation to the tongue when eating a dish. This sensation comes from the use of Sichuan (Szechuan) pepper.

It is not a difficult dish to cook and does not take up much time to do. Here's how:

INGREDIENTS
 

• 500 g Minced meat.
  I used pork but it can be beef, chicken, or some seafood (try lobster).
   

• Doubanjian sauce (3 large tablespoons)
  I used the Lee Kum Kee brand.
   

• 600 g of soft taufu.
  You may prefer firm taufu. However, avoid using silken taufu as this will be too soft and break up in the frying.
   

• A teaspoon of chopped ginger.
   

• A teaspoon of chopped garlic.
   

• A teaspoon of Sichuan (Szechuan) pepper.
  Be mindful that over use of this spice can ruin a dish.
   

• A few dried chillis (to taste).
   

• Sliced spring onions (for garnishing).
   

• Some 50 mL of starch slurry for thickening.
   

METHOD
 

• Cut the taufu into large cubes.
   

• Place the cubes into salted boiling water and simmer for some 5 minutes.
   

• Drain the water from the cubes and set aside.
   

• Crush and then dry fry the Sichuan pepper and dried chillis until fragrant.
   

• Remove the pepper and chilli from heat and render them into a coarse grind using a mortar and pestle or grinder.
   

• Heat up 3 - 4 tablespoons of cooking oil and then fry the ground pepper and chilli.
  Continue frying until the oil has obtained as much red colour as you would like.
  At this point you can remove the coarse grind if you like a dish without biting into bits of spice later when dining.
  Otherwise, just leave the spices in.
   

• In the same oil, fry the ginger, followed by the garlic.
   

• Then add three large tablespoons of doubanjiang sauce.
  (Careful! The pan will spit at this stage from water in the sauce).
   

• Now add the meat mince. Fry until cooked.
   

• Thicken the sauce by adding some 50 mL of starch slurry.
  Make the sauce as thick or thin as you like by controlling your use of starch slurry (concentration and quantity).
  You should taste the dish at this stage and adjust by adding condiments as necessary (stock bouillon; MSG etc).
  Be reminded that doubanjian itself is salty and so do not add salt until this last stage and only if necessasry.
   

• When the sauce is thickened, the taufu cubes can be added.
  Fold the taufu in, taking care not to break them up too much.
   

• Garnish the dish with some sliced spring onions when serving.
   

• Enjoy!

Clem's Ma Po taufu