How To Make Japanese-Style Mapo Tofu (Mabo Dofu)
Mapo Tofu (Mabo Dofu in Japanese pronunciation) is a chili pepper-based spicy tofu dish that originates from China. In Japan, some dishes are thought to be Japanese despite their non-Japanese origins, and Mapo Tofu is one of them.
Mapo Tofu is incredibly popular in Japan, enjoyed by both adults and children. It's even offered as a less spicy option in school lunches. Supermarkets also provide ready-made Mapo Tofu seasoning products that simplify preparation, requiring only ground meat and tofu (some products even include ground meat). This convenience is particularly helpful for busy people who don't have much time to cook. If you're interested in ready-made Mapo Tofu seasoning products, we have some available on our website such as this spicy mapo tofu sauce and this even spicier numbing mapo tofu sauce. Feel free to check them out!
The traditional Chinese recipe involves the use of Doubanjiang (hot chili bean sauce), a key ingredient that adds spiciness to the dish. Common Chinese seasonings like Touchijiang (black bean sauce) and Tenmenjiang (Sweet Soybean Paste) are also used, but many Japanese people are actually not familiar with these sauces. Therefore, when preparing Mapo Tofu from scratch at home, Japanese people often opt for familiar seasonings such as miso and soy sauce. In this recipe, we will introduce this "Japanese-style" Mapo Tofu.
A crucial tip for making delicious Mapo Tofu is appropriate tofu preparation.
In Japan, there are two types of tofu, as explained in our Agedashi Tofu recipe. When making Mapo Tofu, the choice of tofu depends on your preference. However, in both cases, it is essential to drain the excess water, as it can weaken the overall taste.
There are several ways to remove excess water from tofu and maintain its shape. In this recipe, we recommend boiling the tofu for a few minutes as part of the preparation.
Whether or not you are familiar with traditional Chinese Mapo Tofu, you can certainly enjoy the Japanese-style version!
Overview
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Total servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 300-400 g (1 pack) Tofu, firm or soft is OK
- 150 g Ground Pork
- 50 g Japanese Leek or Scallions
- 30 g Ginger (with peel)
- 5 g (1 clove) Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Salt (for boiling the tofu)
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 tsp~ Doubanjiang (add more if you want a spicier sauce)
- 1 Tbsp Miso
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Sake
- 1/2 Tbsp Chicken Stock Powder
- 250 ml Water
- 1 tsp Potato Starch (for thickening the sauce)
- 2 tsp Water (for thickening the sauce)
- Chopped Green Onion, for topping, as needed
- Powdered Sichuan Pepper, for topping, as needed
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