About the Recipe
Ma Po's Tofu is available in every Japanese high street and every supermarket stocks prepared Ma Po's tofu to eat at home. The name of the dish is a little confusing as everyone one seems to call it Mapo Tofu (sadly including all the internet search engines!but it is correctly Ma Po's tofu, old mother Po being the lady (bless her) who is said to have invented the dish.
Ingredients
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp of grated ginger or ginger paste
3 spring onions
1 packet of firm tofu (approx. 340g)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
150g minced pork
170ml water
1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli bean sauce (toban djan)
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp miso paste
a little sesame oil
2 tsp corn flour + 1 tbsp water
tip:
you can substitute either dry sherry or japanese cooking sake for the shaoxing wine
Preparation
slice & mince the garlic
grate the ginger
chop the spring onions and set aside
cut the tofu into about 1.5cm cubes
heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan. add the garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds
add the minced pork and fry for 2-3 mins
add the water, shaoxing cooking wine, chilli bean sauce, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, miso paste and stir everything together well
add the tofu in, taking care not to break it up. cook for 2-3 mins, then add a dash of sesame oil
combine the cornflour with water and stir in until to the pan until the sauce begins to thicken
lastly add the spring onion, mix and your dish is ready - serve with bowls of Japanese rice