Ma Po Tofu Spicy Bean Curd With Beef Recipes

Steps:

• In dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, toast peppercorns, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and let cool, then grind in spice grinder to fine powder. Set aside.
• In large pot over moderately high heat, bring 4 cups water to boil. Add tofu, remove from heat, and let steep, uncovered, 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer tofu to medium bowl and set aside.
• In small bowl, whisk together hot bean paste, black-bean paste, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, and chili powder. Set aside.
• In small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water. Set aside.
• In wok or heavy large sauté pan over moderate heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add beef, ginger, garlic, and scallions and stir-fry until meat is browned, about 1 minute. Add rice wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of moisture evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes. Add hot bean paste mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is incorporated and oil in pan turns red, about 1 minute.
• Add tofu, leeks, stock, light and dark soy sauces, and remaining 2 tablespoons oyster sauce and bring to boil. Whisk cornstarch mixture to recombine, then add to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until juices thicken slightly, about 1 minute.
• Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorn powder and cilantro, if using. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Get all the ingredients ready before you start cooking and set them out in bowls. Drain the tofu and cut it into 1.5cm cubes. Put it in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Leave this while you get on with everything else.
• Heat a wok and pour in the groundnut oil. Get this really hot and fry the pork until it's crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon but leave the oil behind.
• Add the bean paste and cook, stirring for a few mins until fragrant, then add the black beans, ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, for a min or so, then add the stock and let it bubble away.
• Stir the cornflour and water into the mixture in the wok, drain the tofu and stir it into the sauce. Tip in the spring onions and the mince.
• Add the chilli oil, if using, and sprinkle over the Sichuan peppercorns. The sauce shouldn't need seasoning with salt, as many of the ingredients are salty already. Serve with boiled white rice.

Steps:

• Place 1 tablespoon of the chopped ginger in a medium-sized bowl, and reserve the remainder.
• Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the bowl (1 sliced spring onion, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoon of Chinese rice wine, 2 teaspoons cornstarch), and mix well.
• Add the ground beef or pork, give it another stir and set aside for approx 30 minutes.
• Place the tree ears or shiitake mushrooms in small bowl, pour over boiling water, and soak for about 15 minutes until they are soft and gelatinous.
• Drain the soaked tree ears, rinse, remove hard stems, and slice finely.
• Blanch the tofu in boiling water for 2- 3 minutes, then drain.
• Combine the garlic with the reserved ginger, and process together with a stick blender or spice grinder until they form the consistency of a thick paste.
• Heat a wok over a moderately high flame.
• Add the peanut oil, and just as it is starting to smoke, add the garlic/ginger paste and stir-fry, stirring continuously, for approximately 30 seconds.
• Next add the brown bean paste, Szechwan chile paste, water chestnuts and tree ears, and stir-fry for a further minute.
• Give the meat mixture a stir, add it to the wok, and continue to stir-fry over high heat for two to three minutes, until it loses its pinkish color.
• Toss in the tofu and the sliced green onions and continue to toss and fry for about 45 seconds.
• Finally, add the sugar and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
• Pour in the soy sauce& water, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to moderate and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the Szechwan pepper corns and stir thoroughly.
• If there appears to be too much liquid in the wok contents, thicken with a little cornstarch and water.
• Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and season to taste with salt.
• Serve with steamed rice, and garnish with cilantro.

Steps:

• Cut bean curd into .5-inch cubes, place in a colander and leave to drain for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl blend the marinade: 1 tsp of soy sauce, sherry, and sweet bean or hoisin sauce; add pork and stir to coat.
• Stir in 1 tsp of the oil and marinate for 15 minutes.
• Heat a wok or wide frying pan over high heat.
• When pan is hot, add remaining veg oil.
• When oil begins to heat (i.e. passes the "water droplet test" where a sprinkling of water thrown into the oil starts to crackle--careful here) add ginger and garlic.
• Stir once, then add pork and stir-fry until meat isn't pink any more, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in hot bean sauce (lajiaojiang or tobanjan).
• Add drained beancurd, the water and the 2 Tbsp soy sauce.
• Simmer for 3 minutes, then add green onion.
• Re-mix cornstarch and water with a fork, add to pan and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens (this happens very quickly).
• Sprinkle with crushed szechuan peppercorns just before serving.
• Serve over large mounds of hot white rice.
• I have served this along with some stir-fried Chinese broccoli (gai lan) seasoned with a little oyster sauce, or some baby bok choy stir fried with a little sesame oil.
• For a vegetarian version, this recipe also works if you omit the meat.
• You could also try using some kind of veggie sausage, like Morningstar crumbles, in place of the pork.

Steps:

• Cut bean curd into 2 forming two triangles.
• You should have 16 all in all.
• Fry bean curd till golden.
• Set aside.
• Heat a little oil and stir fry garlic.
• Add in ground pork or shrimp.
• Saute till no longer pink.
• Add black bean garlic sauce, garlic sauce, soy and stock.
• Let simmer awhile.
• Correct seasoning, add more chili if you want it hotter.
• Thicken with cornstarch mixed in water.
• Put back all the cooked tofu in the sauce.
• Let it simmer in low heat until flavor gets absorbed.
• Garnish with spring onions.

Steps:

• Drain tofu and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Heat oil in nonstick skillet and saute ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. Add pork, stirring to separate pieces and cook about 1 minute to brown.
• Add the scallions, chili paste, soy sauce, sesame oil and chicken stock and stir well. Add the tofu and stir in gently; cook, uncovered, over low heat about 5 minutes. If necessary, add a little more stock. Serve over rice.

Steps:

• In a wok, heat vegetable oil on medium high heat for 2 minutes. Have all your ingredients ready next to your cooking area as you will need them close at hand as cooking progresses.
• Add garlic and ginger to the wok and stir-fry for about 1 minute, be careful not to burn the garlic.
• Add the ground pork to the wok and break up into large chunks. Let the pork sear and gently combine the garlic and ginger as you continue to break up the meat, abour 3-4 minutes. If desired, you may season the pork at this stage with salt and black pepper, but this is not necessary.
• For the sauce, combine the sugar, cooking wine, rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce and chili paste. Add the sauce mixture to the wok. Gently combine and bring the wok to a simmer.
• Add green onions, tofu and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Gently fold ingredients together, be careful not to break up the tofu (you want it to retain their cubed-shape).
• Cover wok with a lid and lower heat to low and braise pork and tofu for 10 minutes.
• Remove lid and raise heat to medium. Stir cornstarch into remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the wok and gently stir to thicken sauce, about 2 minutes. Remove the ginger now, if desired.
• Serve over white rice and enjoy!

Steps:

• Mix marinade ingredients. Marinate pork for about 20 minutes.
• Cut the tofu (bean curd) into 1/2 inch (1 cm) square cubes, and blanch (drop into boiling water) for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from boiling water and drain.
• Chop leek or green onions into short lengths.
• Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the marinated pork. Stir-fry pork until the color darkens. Add salt and stir. Add the salted black beans. Mash the beans with a cooking ladle until they blend in well with the meat. Add the chili paste, then the stock, bean curd, and leek or green onions.
• Turn down the heat. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes.
• While cooking, mix cornstarch, water, and soy sauce together. Add to wok and stir gently. Serve with freshly ground Szechuan pepper.