How to Make Authentic Chinese Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

The ever popular Sichuan Mapo Tofu! If you're a bit on the fence about tofu, this is definitely one of the best 'gateway tofu' dishes. This dish is the "Mala" flavor profile, meaning that it's going to feature a combination of heat and that characteristic numbing flavor of the Sichuan peppercorns.
This recipe is the real deal. A detailed ingredient list, recipe, and discussion are in a reddit comment here:
/ recipe_authentic_sichu...
ABOUT US
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm Chris Thomas from the United States and I've been living as an expat in China now for upwards of nine years, most of which in Shenzhen. I love living here, and the food is absolutely incredible. I read and speak some Chinese, and have been trying to religiously recreate the most authentic versions of the food I've eaten and loved here.
My partner in these videos is Stephanie Li, my similarly food-and-travel-obsessed long term girlfriend. She's a translator from Guangzhou and is an incredible home cook. Sometimes I'll be behind the wok but usually it'll be her cooking.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Hey guys, we've had a couple people report issues with saltiness in our two recipes that call for doubanjiang (chili bean paste) - this and the Shuizhu. It always sucks to hear people having replication problems, and it's definitely our fault that we didn't go into this more. The unfortunate reality is that different brands of doubanjiang have different salinity - generally the less good ones are the ones that're really salty, which I imagine might be what you're buying if cooking this abroad. So before you get started cooking, first make sure that it's "Pixian" doubanjiang (the sort that's used in Sichuan cooking), and then - and I can't stress this enough - *taste your Doubanjiang*. If it's roughly as salty as soy sauce, you can use it as is in the recipe. If the doubanjiang's making your lips pucker, it's not ideal but you can still move forward. First, cut out the stock concentrate and just use plain water in the liquid. Second, cut your doubanjiang quantity from 1.5 tbsp to 1 tbsp. Apologies.

[@rapfaelo]

Hi Chris and Stephanie. This is for all the followers. In my culture that we have a salty recipe is synonymous with being in love :) After a while you know the ingredients of love and the balance arrives. The same with the food ingredients. It is a matter of cultivating our local relationship with food, that otherwise needs some time. :) You guys are doing a beautiful job. By the way, whats kind of nice black and white handel cleaver and knives do you use. They are local? They are carbon steel o stain steel made? It is possible to buy"? Pura vida, from Costa Rica

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

So our old knife (in this video) was a sort of garbage stainless steel knife but our new one is a handmade carbon steel one we grabbed from the market when a knife vendor was in town. As for knife recommendations, we're probably not the best people to ask because we've never bought one on Amazon :/ But if you're interested in this sort of Chinese chef's knife (love it BTW, so much less wrist motion than a Western chef's knife and can double as a cleaver in a pinch), the English name for it is either "vegetable cleaver" or "Chinese knife". The brand "Shun" is really famous, available abroad, but also quite pricey (one day we'll spring for one).

[@user-rx8lz6yz4f]

I came to the conclusion that there are at least two types of doubanjiang. Sichuanese doubanjiang as used in this recipe and north eastern doubanjiang which is black, not spicy but extremely salty. More like dajiang or huangdoujiang. That is sold in Chinese supermarkets in the UK and also labelled as "doubanjiang". I guess the key is the taste test if you're not familiar with all this but you can also tell by the colour. If you break down the word doubanjiang it just means beansauce or something so yeah thanks for clarifying it's the Sichuanese variety you need. I'm digging your video anyway and thanks. First of the bunch of Chinese recipes I searched on KZbin that's actually decent.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Yeah that's right. In the written recipes I always write down 'Pixian Doubanjiang', which specifies the Sichuan version. That said, in English it's usually labeled as 'Chili Bean Paste' (or sauce), so that name should also get ya there.

[@lisiekonsein2918]

Chinese Cooking Demystified kings h Discard

[@ternencel]

As a man who grew up in Sichuan, it was really glad to see these recipes posted! A few advices for authentic Mapo Tofu. 1. Minced meat should be ground beef 2. Add some minced ginger, white scallion and fermented black beans(dou chi) after frying chili bean paste 3. Don't add all the slurry one time. Thicken it 3 times every a few seconds would make all the sauce stick to the Tofu. Hope to see more authentic Sichuan food!

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

So yeah, we know beef is like the super-traditional mince for this, but for us beef mince ends up sucking oil like a sponge, inhibiting the formation of the red oil. We've had one with pork in Chengdu, so figured it wouldn't be too much of an issue :). And yeah, maybe we shoulda used the 姜/葱/蒜 combo. I mean, with this flavor profile it really goes into the background so I don't think it's too much on an issue... but in our more recent videos we've really been making sure all the little details are more on point. Our wheelhouse is Cantonese food (Steph's from Guangzhou), so we've done a lot more research for the latest Sichuan food videos. Our 红油 recipe video was really great if I do say so myself lol 水煮牛肉 is coming up in two weeks time!

[@stephanieli7519]

I'm just going through comments randomly, saw this, and thx for your advice! I can see you know your stuff :). I talked to an old Sichuan chef recently and the slurry thing is a new trick I learned from him! Another trick to avoid the beef soaking up the oil is to fry it up real dry to a point that it's almost crispy. Is that what you do too?

[@lancebaker3132]

@Tiger, " it was really glad"???

[@JVisser1990]

Thank you for the tip about the slurry. I had problems making the sauce stick to the tofu so i'll try to remember to use this method next time i cook it!

[@RovingPunster]

Helpful tip on the douchi ... will try that. As for beef ... ive always found that the hemaglobin in it turns the sauce from red to brown, and also makes the sauce taste murky ... esp if ground beef is used instead of mince. I will definitely give mince a try, and sauteeing til dryish, but in the meantime i like the redder color and cleaner flavor of using coarsely ground unseasoned pork sausage meat.

[@adrianmaulana1435]

yorokobe shounen now we knew how to make kirei's favorite food

[@stephenmedianero7729]

Yes rejoice

[@kelseyzwaan1995]

As a Canadian with Chinese in-laws who really only like traditional Chinese dishes, your channel has been a godsend. I often refer to your videos for inspiration when they're coming by for a meal. This receipt was a huge winner with them and I'll definitely be making it again! 特别好吃！谢谢你们

[@kelseyzwaan1995]

*recipe

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Cheers, glad you all enjoyed it! Where you based out of in Canada? I've heard the Chinese supermarket game's pretty strong in Toronto :)

[@kelseyzwaan1995]

Chinese Cooking Demystified I live in Ottawa but we have several options for Chinese grocery stores. Although you can find Asian grocery stores throughout Canada, Toronto and Vancouver definitely have the best Chinese grocery game by far. Keep up your amazing work and you're always welcome in Canada! :)

[@filippobenedetti9820]

Bullshit. Learn from the Sichuan Masters instead.

[@bruhman3406]

My Local Priest approves of this

[@sexymewtwo3737]

Bruh Man My local priest too but a blue hair guy with a spear killed him

[@louisaugustexvi4515]

@@sexymewtwo3737 i-

[@Seorful]

Has your local priest a basement full of half dead horribly burned bodys?

[@ZainxIqbal]

I would never share a meal with him.

[@OncieDelms12]

@@sexymewtwo3737 is that? 😂😂😂

[@lindaelvenia7542]

As an amateur, I made the mistake of cooking my Sichuan pepper and dried peppers in oil on high heat. Everyone in the house nearly died. (In case you don’t know what happens, it put everyone in a non-stop, painful coughing fit)

[@adrindazril3913]

Linda Elvenia lol...I did that too...But I'm home alone tho haha

[@lancebaker3132]

That was caused by the dried red pepper, not the Sichuan pepper, which is not a chili pepper, not picante at all. You can simply add cayenne powder after everything else is in the pot. Not only will you avoid the choking on chili smoke, but also you eliminate the seeds. For that matter, you can buy Sichuan pepper powder at Asian grocers and add that after all the rest is in the pot.

[@adrindamri4890]

Adrind Azril Why i no cough?

[@adrindazril3913]

Adrind Amri because you're a bitch

[@RovingPunster]

High heat burns the chilies and destroys the fruity complexity. I go to the opposite extreme when making infused chili oil ... i'll mince up all my dried chilies (with seeds) ... mostly regular chilies with some kashmiri for extra color ... then add them to my saucepan of oil along with sichuan peppercorns, a curl of cinnamon, a pod of star anise, and a crushed clove of garlic, i'll raise it briefly to 185F to kill any microbes then shut it off and infuse it overnight in my digital dehydrator at about 130F .. then strain out and discard the solids, then press the oil through a large paper coffee filter (bunn) to fully clarify it. Then i'll add my finishing spices and minced nuts (which stay in) and infuse AGAIN, then store it in a 24 fl oz wide mouth jar in the fridge. Awesome stuff ... very deep flavor and clean color. Amazing over homemade noodles and dumplings. Deep red instead of brown.

[@CatCatCat19]

The mapo tofu Kirei loves looked appetizing to me, which is why I am here so I can make it

[@drag0fek0]

Yorokobe shounen

[@WolfShadowsong]

We're vegetarians, so we used shiitakes instead of pork to get that meaty umami flavor. We also used some smoked chili powder from my hometown in the southwest and it made it taste even more amazing!

[@exudeku]

Shiitake mushrooms are the SSR when eating Vegan food

[@someguyontheinternet2399]

I thought vegetarians ate grass and tree leaves exclusively?

[@briantaulbee5744]

You can also try a combination of shiitake mushrooms and chickpeas.

[@Rapture-Asuka]

@@someguyontheinternet2399 0

[@whlewis9164]

​@@briantaulbee5744 I love vegan food, but if you put chickpeas in my tofu dish I'm going to punch you in the face. I'd go shiitake and defiinitely some wood ear mushrooms. Mushrooms are hands down some of the best umami.

[@RovingPunster]

TIP: Hey guys, I adore mapodoufu and make it semi regularly (eating some now in fact). I have a tip to share on accompaniments ... I love to serve peeled julienne of cold raw APPLE on the side. The cold crunchy bright sweetness of apple is IMO a perfect and refreshing counterpoint pairing with the hot spicy funky oily softness of this dish, in much the same way that pickled ginger makes a great side for sushi. My personal favorite variety is honeycrisp, followed by fuji, gala, ambrosia, pink lady, or korean pear. If apples are out of season, or if I dont have one handy, some quickly pickled (1-4 hr half sour half sweet) julienne of jicama, cucumber or the white inner rind of watermelon also can work in the same role. Give it a try 😁

[@joddle23]

That is a tip I would have never expected to hear but it makes sense! I'll try it too... once i can make a decent mapo tofu

[@RovingPunster]

@@joddle23 No need to wait for learning mapodoudmfu - It's a great counterpoint to any hot spicy oily dish, be it classic chili or southern indian vindaloo.

[@RovingPunster]

@@SpacemanXC It's a suggested side accompaniment, not an ingredient for the dish itself silly. Gotta work on that reading comprehension and those social skills, bud, if you hope to get anywhere in life. Muted.

[@SpacemanXC]

@@RovingPunster I already deleted my comment after I realized I read it wrong. Sorry, English isn't my first language.

[@CookingWithLope]

​@@RovingPunsterbro English is his/her second language it was just a small kistake

[@jean-michelnadeau2833]

We've been making this recipe increasingly often. Shot right up to my personal top 10, along with spaghetti al ragù. Chinese cooking is a true gift to the world heritage. Thank you, CMD!

[@lacqueredhearts]

Please don't stop making these! I miss Sichuan/Chinese food so much after moving away from HK.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

Why don't you give it a shot and make it like they do in the video? Looks easy. I'm gonna try it tonight!

[@joshuamichael2421]

I am vegan and made this with the same amount of ground "beef" crumbles instead of mince and it turned out FANTASTIC. Thank you for this recipe

[@frankchen4229]

i like to mince seitan and mushrooms

[@lolianz]

I really like dried shitake for this recipe to veganize it

[@emileewatson4845]

i tried mapo tofu when I went to an asian cuisine restaurant for the first time. It was honestly one of the best things ive ever eaten, I'm definitely going to try and replicate this!

[@vingting9966]

Make sure to go to restaurants specializing in Sichuan cuisine. You may come across inauthentic Sichuan food even in China. 😄

[@Julusyehenara]

This is a simple way of cooking mapo tofu. This was similar to how my mum used to cook it. It's delicious. My mum used pork instead of beef because she's a Buddhist. Nice recipes! Reminded me of my mum.

[@keppela1]

Buddhists eat pork?

[@sonyadewi7019]

@@keppela1 A few of Chinese women didn't eat beef for respecting the Guan Yin Goddess.

[@ceruleanmemoir]

I've got so many Mapo Tofu in FGO that I am sick of it. I came to this cooking video just to write this.

[@lasoren]

How bout black keys?

[@Human-js1ff]

Your profile picture is upper moon 2 douma right

[@PKmaster12]

@@Human-js1ff yes

[@nazarickgraveyard9546]

Kirei Kotomine liked this video

[@kerry958]

Nazarick Graveyard as enemy i approved this

[@Alzakielz]

REJOICE!

[@blancka4200]

MONGREL

[@xXLoneLoboXx]

Fate Grand Order also brought me here.

[@akadr360]

YOROKOBE SHOUNEN

[@runciblespoon925]

Way late to the party here, but I just made this this evening using your methods as a guide and it turned out fantastic. Very remenicent of the dishes I have had at various Sichuan restaurants around the Seattle area. I really appreciate these clear and well described recipes and techniques and hope to use more of these as I expand my attempts at Chinese cuisine.

[@misisipimike8020]

Finally someone has shared wok recipes that aren't always high cooking temp. Thank you.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Yeah, one of our pet peeves is many people's insistence that some sort of airplane-jet-engine-stove is required to make good Chinese food. Our little burner there is 9000 BTUs... the standard for Western stoves is 7000 iirc. That difference is slightly noticeable but largely negligible. At our local market in Shenzhen, the market workers generally all cook their own lunches, but gas isn't allowed and they gotta fry on wimpy little electric hotplates... and those lunches always look damn good :) The problem I see with many online recipes in the West for Chinese food is almost never equipment, but rather head-scratching ingredients and improper technique.

[@Harupia]

I tried it last night and it was just amazing. I followed the recipe from A to Z, but added a tad more minced beef! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

[@swicheroo1]

I usually do a low fry of the pepper corns and then there is a mala flavor in an oil base. The pepper corns can then be smashed. But if you are truly Szechuan, you can reintroduce it later as whole with maybe some rough cuts. I also like to put in ginger. Really enjoy this video.

[@havadatequila]

Chris, you are doing more good for the world than the entire U.S. Congress. Thanks.

[@MetallicCocoon]

This recipe is my biggest cooking flex with my partner, by FAR. Turns out great every time. Such a clear recipe with great shots showing the process. I love this channel.

[@freeman10000]

Cooked this recipe last night and it was absolutely awesome, feel like cooking and eating it again this morning👍 I lived in China previously for ten years in the southern city of Dongguan where I would occasionally try mapo doufu in various restaurants and eateries. They were OK but I suspected they were pale imitations for non-Sichanese Chinese consumption. The mapo doufu on your video was much better than anything I ate in Dongguan😊

[@earlystrings1]

Did not know about roasting the szechuan pepper or parboiling the tofu, and never heard of the funky Chinese canola which i will definitely look for. Love this channel!

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Hey so I had an epiphany: 'unrefined oil' = 'extra virgin'. Duh. Given that Canada is one of the largest producers of rapeseed, there seem to be a couple specialty suppliers that sell 'extra virgin canola oil'. I have no idea if it's actually the same thing, but it seems like the best lead. Here's two suppliers I found from a quick googling: xvcanolaoil.com/ www.brulecreekfarms.ca/extra-virgin-canola-oil/ If it works, someone should let them know lol, as they'd be sitting on a product that is (1) largely unavailable in the US and (2) one of the key ingredients to authentic Sichuan food... but are marketing it instead as a health food.

[@leightaft7763]

Lol listening to you in these older videos compared to now. You’re so much more fluent and confident now. Still these recipes made me a much better chef. Thanks guys

[@jacksaunders7626]

So many good recipes on your channel, I've struck gold! Don't know how it never occurred to me to mince doubanjiang before now...

[@lashlarue7924]

Mincing together with douchi is the way to go in my opinion. I rinse the douchi off in a sieve first.

[@PandemoniumMeltDown]

@@lashlarue7924 I never rinced it before... liking it's outrageous salty side and cutting on adding salt. I'll try that too though.

[@Alice_Walker]

I have tried at least 6 other "authentic" Mapo Tofu recipes... They've all been more or less rubbish... THIS. WAS. SENSATIONAL!!!! I was slightly concerned that 2 tablespoons of chilli flakes might be too hot for me so I used 1 this time but would bump it up next time. Other than that I made it exactly as per the recipe. I got the sexy red oil. It has sensational depth of flavour. I'd probably just use water instead of stock next time, it was just a smidgen salty for me. I'm so happy and can't wait until I can have visitors to make it for them. Thank you so much for all your excellent directions! 💜

[@mccallosone4903]

I live in Zhuhai and this is one of my favorites. glad to see you showing genuine chinese dishes here, i was trying to figure out the recipes on my own with little success

[@Danishmastery]

I love mapo tofu. You could call it a love affair. It dates all the way back to June 15th 2015, at a convenience store in Taoyuan, Taiwan. And that was the crappy version. But still good. I was hooked. Needed more. So I got more. And more after that. And now that I’ve been out of Asia for 9 months, I’m missing it like aaahhh 🤤🤤

[@ziyanglee7950]

Kudos to the lady chef!❤ The Mapo Daofu dishe the young lady made is the real thing; the original Szechuan Mapo Daofu. 👍👍👍 And kudos to the wonderful narrator, great voice and clarity.

[@spaacec4412]

Why this video has spawned in my home after I rolled for Maid Alter getting only this spicy shit?

[@dontaskwhatkindofmusic]

I just read so many recipes - all with slight differences. Yours seems to be the best of all of them. Gonna follow this for the most part.

[@paulssx79]

Made this today for the first time and it's my favorite Chinese recipe I've made so far. So flavorful and distinct. Thanks so much guys, loving your channel and recipes.

[@JackieBactasa]

I tried your recipe yesterday evening and it‘s amazing! It really worked well, although I could not find the exact same Tofu in our german Supermarkets. It still tasted soo good 😍😍 My favourit dish ever!

[@virtuallylightblue]

Yorokobe shounen. Kimi no negai wa youyaku kanau.

[@danielpincus221]

I dare say that yours/now mine tastes better than any I've had in restaurants. Much more subtle balancing of the flavors. Too often, my tongue is assaulted by too much Szechuan peppercorns, chili, or salt. This is perfect. I bought the Doubanjiang at Mala Market. Fantastic recipe.

[@thisrandomdude_]

Came here just to see all the Fate comments hahaha All these "Yorokobe, shounen"'s are killing me xD

[@argafro]

I have tried several recipes (also from YT), and I dare to say, this one really surprise myself! So packed with flavour yet very easy on palate! Thank you very much for this recipe!

[@mellowmanta8975]

Cooked this last night. Great flavor and success! Thank you for this!

[@CrepeyCruller]

I just finished making your recipe and omg I'm in love. I had to use regular canola oil and I didn't have pork mince so I minced up some bacon and used that. The bacon made it slightly over salted but not enough to ruin it. I'll use regular pork mince next time. Oh since you noted the color of the oil you were using I added a dash of Turmeric to the mince to at least get the color right. It was super simple and really really good. Thank you!

[@spectereye7749]

Yorokobe Shounen

[@theresablom2813]

Just made this and it's DIVINE. I didn't have pork mince but i did have leftover gammon haha, so i just used that to render some pork fat out. Thank you so much for all your incredible recipes.

[@Yuri-qb1hh]

cooking master boy brought me here xixixixi ahh the memories

[@Irichuu]

I try to follow your recipe as closely as I can and it turns out so delicious! Thank you for the amazing recipe! Also if you're taking recipe request, can you make a video on how to cook 麻辣干锅？I love 麻辣！！

[@myuren_chi]

Kanade approve this

[@neildbarker]

Just wanted to say great channel and really appreciate the simple explanations and examples. Thanks again!

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Cheers, has there been part of any video you've found confusing at all? Recently I've tried to improve the pacing of the videos... it's always this tug and pull between getting into the nitty-gritty and keeping the video moving :)

[@VLAD-yu6ul]

God bless this meal - Kotomine Kirei

[@marinakh3137]

The video is easy to follow, thank you. I live in a smaller city in the US and had access to only a mediocre doubanjiang, which definitely is salty, but overall this came out great. I was making a vegetarian version of the dish but didn't want to just ignore the pork, so I used about 1/2 cup of smoked jackfruit made by The Jackfruit Company. It is the least flavored of their products and actually made a fantastic addition. Some recipes use mushrooms but that would definitely interfere with the flavor more.

[@pikachubrando8303]

yorokobe shounen.

[@Rosierband]

I've made this countless times, it's simply the BEST💖 THANK YOU

[@OsamonGaming]

Extra Spicy Yoroukube Shounen

[@hoppysport2872]

This is brilliant...accompanied by your addendum. I love Mapo Tofu and find it impossible to consistently find a good one at restaurants in Manhattan. Plus they are pricey...usually around $20. I followed your recipe and steps, and from the very first time, made the perfect Mapo Tofu. I've even modified it slightly to make Mapo Tofu over rice noodles. The cost per meal is $4.00 after amortising the cost of ingredients.

[@slightlyoffthebeatentrack7322]

Made this this week, and veganised it with some vegan mince we had and wow, this recipe is perfect. Really tasted like eating in China, at a time where I'm really missing travelling in China. Thank you!

[@thebabyshpee6508]

This is my favorite dish ever. I can eat three bowls of rice with this.

[@tzacal2]

We got the annoyed fed up Chris’ voice today 😄

[@johnhanley9946]

I always used to get this dish with green peas in it too. It looks really good the way you make it, maybe I'll give it a try!

[@toddstropicals]

Perfect! Another one of my favorite dishes, I make it the same but I always add more chili to 'my' own dish because I like more fire than everyone else I cook it for, so I make it milder for them. Thanks for sharing!

[@pasarasaki9007]

I love how you just straight came out and said there's no sub for Sichuan peppercorns, since there really isn't. ANYONE who's tasted it knows why, it is one of my fav spices BECAUSE of its unique taste and numbing properties.

[@fierypickles4450]

One of my favorite dishes of all time.

[@EllieofAzeroth]

I saw this meal on Angel Beats and one of the girl was OBSESSED with it, so I can't wait to try it myself :D

[@thricexalliance]

Where I live, Portland, OR, we have the oldest craft tofu factory in all of the U.S.A, Ota Tofu, the best tofu hands down, and I make my own, so I know good stuff.

[@xXLoneLoboXx]

So who else is here because of Fate Grand Order? (The Mapo Tofu Craft Essence looks good.)

[@hybrid9791]

Taste like tears

[@j04nNii3]

TIP: if you want your mapo tofu less watery, use more corn starch btw thanks for the cooking instruction.it was easy to follow and mine came out tasting and looking amazing! :D

[@lashlarue7924]

Potato starch works even better. Same thing, but bigger starch molecule. Also tends to make the dish 'look' better because it reflects the light in an aesthetically pleasing way...

[@renanrodrigues4559]

Tachibana Kanade liked this video.

[@kojibrosasaki9856]

Kirei Kotomine liked this video

[@sinthssb]

Nice video and reddit post. The only ingredient that I felt was missing was Ginger, so I followed your instructions, but added in some minced ginger too (inbetween the garlic and chicken stock stages). I was also concerned that you were using Chilli powder instead of fresh chillies, but it actually did work out tasty and hot enough, so I was happy to discover I may not need to waste so much money at the supermarket on fresh chillies anymore. Keep up the good work!

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Awesome to hear it came out well, you happen to have a pic somewhere? So yeah, you can add in some ginger if you like! In general though, unless you're aiming for a flavor profile that specifically calls for ginger, ginger's most used to get rid of the 'xingwei' (almost impossible to translate that term haha) in meats and to balance out certain vegetables. One of the big things that makes us scratch our head when westerners cook Chinese food is that they'll tend to put ginger in EVERYTHING. But Ginger tastes good, and it usually'd never detract from the dish... so if you like it go for it! Re chilis, fresh chilis are a different sort of flavor profile than dried. To speak in broad generalities, Sichuanese food'll use more dried and pickled chilis (which actually makes Sichuanese one of the least spicy cuisines of the Chinese southwest IMO), while Hunanese food'll use fresh and pickled, and Guizhou food'll use roasted and smoked. Chili powder's made from the dried chilis... if you wanna go all out, you can toast and grind up your own dried deseeded chilis to make a homemade powder. Definitely know that your powder's nice and spicy that way lol Thanks for the nice line, sorry I sorta went off on a couple tangents there :)

[@sinthssb]

No problem, that was all interesting info, so thanks for the extra detail. Since its a relatively quick and simple dish to put together, I might try this out again soon but without the ginger so that I can figure out which way I prefer to eat it. I'm very tempted to start experimenting more and more with chillies, but I want to learn some more Sichuan dishes first. I'm still not sure what to cook next, but have subscribed to your channel so if you put up anything else from that province I'll probably be trying it out! By the way, if you're currently living in China and ever happen to pass by Shanghai, check out a store there called Hot Box which opened recently. The whole store specialises in chillies and chilli sauces so it's quite a fun place to explore and shop.

[@sinthssb]

Oh and I do have a decent picture of it, yes, wanna see?

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Sounds good! I'll check out Hot Box next time I swing by Shanghai (I'll squeeze it in between Shengjianbao feasts lol)... we're based down south in Shenzhen though. I like spicy food quite a bit but I know there's some people out there that go absolutely crazy for chili. Sichuan food (outside of Chongqing hotpot) tends to be pretty balanced I think... most food in Sichuan I'd call 'light to medium spicy' for me, which is actually quite nice for me for day-to-day eating. But everyone has their own personal heat tolerance. If you love spicy food though, you HAVE to check out Guizhou. One of their go-to methods for adding chilis to a dish is called 'ciba lajiao', where they'll roast some chilis and pound them into a paste (often times, seeds and all). This is then fried near the beginning of the cooking process, which makes a tasty but really firey dish. We got a Sichuan Laziji dish here which might be up your alley, but the Guizhou version fries this Ciba Lajiao together with the chicken and braises it all together. It's intensely spicy but really, really good. Tentatively in two weeks time we'll have a Chili oil/Dan Dan noodle recipe coming out.

[@sinthssb]

Will definitely look into those dishes, thanks for the advice :) Really looking forward to seeing how to make the Dan Dan Mian too, since my wife and I are big fans of that dish.

[@thephantom9227]

Yorokobe Shounen!!

[@roshnipatel8994]

Rusli Dharmawan shj

[@wrux]

One of the best foods to come out of China. I ate mapo tofu in chengdu and it was so soft you had to eat it like ice cream

[@obsidianwing]

This is the most easy Reciepe i could find easy to remamber and yummy

[@tomwatts22]

Great video. Easy to follow.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Thanks, hope you give it a try! After all that recipe testing I'd love to know if you guys can successfully replicate it :)

[@steliosmaris]

Probably my favorite Chinese dish. Looks awesome

[@papercuts777]

Ya this is the best instructional video on the tubes. 💪🔥

[@SenpaiBo]

Who come here from fate stay night heaven's feel?

[@kojibrosasaki9856]

Achillies me

[@BvLee]

Heaven's Feel? Try Angel Beats my dude

[@nomongosinthaworld]

Bvlee100 this

[@xXLoneLoboXx]

I'm here because the Mapo Tofu Craft Essence in Fate Grand Order.

[@rickybryan1759]

It’s one of my faves. Made it once at home - couldn’t get all the correct ingredients but it was still very good!

[@Erohimu]

What? What am i? What evil what cruelty This is my wish? This destruction and tragedy? This is my pleasure?

[@Eph_Inferno]

Reference of Fate zero's last episode, absolutely classic!

[@Erohimu]

@@Eph_Inferno Fate always finds the Way~!

[@nn6404]

I actually got some Sichuan peppercorn in my coffee once and it was very good! It was like a Chinese chai!

[@lashlarue7924]

Semi-pro tip: I like to start mine by adding cumin seed, dried red chilies, whole szechuan peppercorns, and black peppercorns to the hot oil, then doubanjiang and (important!) douchi minced together with dry spices (i.e. cayenne pepper, hot paprika, Kashmiri chili powder, asafoetida, fenugreek, onion or garlic powder, etc.) then finely minced [ginger+garlic+scallion+chilies]. Then shaoxing until the alcohol evaporates off, then chicken or beef stock. Best thickening agent out there is actually potato starch -- it's just like corn starch but has a bigger starch molecule, so it works better in every application as a thickener, IMHO. Also finish it with Lao Gan Ma spicy chili crisp instead of sesame oil. It's the best!

[@lashlarue7924]

I really like the idea of dry toasting the szechuan peppercorns and then grinding to powder though. I do the same with fenugreek (methi) seeds. I'll have to try that!

[@Decimator69420]

Yorokobe, shounen

[@jamessconiers1968]

I just put miso paste in a blender with tomatos, black pepper, garlic, and Korean chili paste till it's a paste, boiled the tofu, strained it. Then I cooked beef in a pan, added my paste let those merge for a bit put the tofu in with some beef broth, stirred till the liquid reduced. Fire off and added mint, basil and green onion... 👍 Done

[@denny.wanderer]

why are you not using 豆豉, dòuchǐ in this?

[@nomongosinthaworld]

Kills the spice and turns it too salty

[@larryboatcrew]

I love your scallion oil noodles, or any noodles for that matter. I make them all the time. I’d really like to see more videos on other noodle dishes.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Noodle dishes are always popular, we're planning a few when we get back :)

[@kirareyes435]

food wars

[@mjverano9610]

SAME hahahahahaha lmao

[@ilkesarpsoylu2990]

kreavuyes KrR angel beats

[@kojibrosasaki9856]

Fate stay night heavens feel that mapo tofu scene

[@Omojuze41]

yep. Kuga brought me here :D

[@HuckebeinEX]

Yorokobe Shounen

[@ZhangWH7]

Small tip: Push the tofu using the back side of your blade, and never pull after push to prevent cutting the tofu.

[@lashlarue7924]

gotta take care of your knife edge. Agreed.

[@cutepurpleghost]

Yorokobe shounen

[@sdelacour3]

This is delicious. And I add extra doubanjiang. Tastes exactly like my local restaurants.

[@trollking000]

There is a Chinese restaurant in my hometown that makes mapu tofu but the translated menu calls it and im not kidding "scarred grandmother tofu"

[@tonyg168]

Fantastic recipes. Really well shot and explained. Thanks

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Thanks! This was one of our older ones when we were shooting on a cell phone without a tripod haha. People've had good results replicating this recipe though :)

[@reyarqueza7627]

Took me forever to make, but worth it! I'm eating it at this moment and it is amazing!!! Thank you!!

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

You'll get the hang of it! Not too bad once you get used to the process :)

[@w8ingsim43]

I am pretty sure sliken tofu should be used instead fo soft tofu.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Silken tofu is much too soft, almost dissolves into the sauce. As an example, take a look at Chen's in Chengdu: houseofhaos.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/house-of-haos-chengdu-sichuan-china-chen-mapo-tofu1.jpg We're looking intact cubes - soft tofu'll give you that :) Try both though and see what you prefer!

[@w8ingsim43]

But my father always use sliken tofu, and it worked just fine. Maybe sliken tofu at Hebei are just less sliken, idk.

[@stephanieli7519]

That's a mistranslation in English, what they call silken tofu - they mean the softest one in the Chinese sense - 内酯豆腐, not our normal old style soft tofu. Our soft tofu here in China can be their medium firm ones.

[@sagnikdas6049]

You just need to bleach the silken tofu .. And it will be firm enough

[@danielchow1975]

If you cook it all the same, but drop the silken tofu (steaming hot) right at the end/during plating. But your tofu won't get the same flavanoids.

[@danielchow1975]

Instead of poaching the tofu, we steam it and then rinse off the brine. Easier to handle when it's fresh/delicate. If you're in a pinch, few minutes covered in microwave with a loose/breathable plastic/silicon/glass cover will do the same.

[@raziel7148]

is this the cheap version of Mapo Tofu? no ginger, no fermented black beans, no white scallion.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Why you putting all those things in Mapo Tofu? These ingredients are pretty standard, if you like you could add some garlic sprouts.

[@mjverano9610]

Roasted... like those seeds...

[@blee04524]

Raziël Makenshi there's many variants

[@Zhoshyn]

Chinese Cooking Demystified it's those ingredients that make an "authentic" Mapo tofu as you call it. Just to make thing clear: I'm not saying your recipe is not good. Just the word "authentic" has a signification.

[@lashlarue7924]

@@Zhoshyn Whatever is "authentic" today is rapidly antiquated or old-fashioned tomorrow... point is that he got the basics very close, close enough so that it doesn't matter. For the record, I do like to always add ginger, scallion, douchi...

[@lestaridalhaar3907]

I love love love mapo tofu. Thanks for this post. I’ll try to make it. ☺️

[@NicolePhim-CookingandTravel]

Great recipes!!!! I love Mapo Tofu so much and I’m making its right now, delicious 😋

[@guillaumesandmayer7053]

Anthony Bourdain - may he be blessed - called Mapo Dofu - one of his favourite Chinese dishes regardless of province. Big call. True story apparently..

[@daveyteo3393]

i can already tell this is the style of mapo tofu i like ... the spicy one with a bit of kick...

[@myuren_chi]

My local tenshi approved this

[@kaevee8041]

The best recipe I have ever tried..

[@pralineblues]

woohoo I made this for third time just now! First time, I put too much water I guess so it was more on a soupy side. Also, I cut cubes smaller. For second and third time, I didn't follow the exact amounts but fortunately things went well. I found that both soft and firm tofu worked fine. Also, I used only a bit of canola oil just so that the meat won't burn on the bottom. I also didn't have stock so just used water. For the third trial, I used frozen tofu instead bc a chef gave a tip that if we freeze tofu the texture changes and the flavors are absorbed faster (and can increase the store time). Cutting up tofu was the most difficult for the frozen tofu cuz it didn't disolve fully even after I put it in hot, salty water for awhile. Frozen tofu was great, tho I prefer non-frozen for this dish. This is just a great, doable receipe! This with less hotness and oil should be healthier too, I suppose (tho might not be "authentic"? lol). This will be one of my staple lunch from now.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Nice, and yeah I wouldn't freeze the tofu. Where you based out of? We find some people in the West seem to love to freeze and squeeze all the moisture out of their tofu... feels weird, if people want dougan just buy dougan :) Also, remember to cut the tofu before the hot water soak!

[@pralineblues]

yea, I should've unfrozen the tofu before adding into hot water. And I'm Korean, and there was a Korean chief on a TV show explaining about frozen tofu. Thank you for the reply! :D

[@Pantheragatos]

I’ll try it again. It’ll be my 3rd attempt. I don’t have a wok. My attempts have been mediocre. I’ll follow your directions. I am missing that chili oil though. I need to get this to make it authentic. Thanks 👍

[@tuffglock]

Never tasted anything like this before, amazing!!!

[@nitinshukla3752]

Loved this recipe. Another one of my favorite is the Sichuan boiled fish with napa cabbage. Could you post the recipe for it?