Peanut Butter Mapo Tofu
Mapo tofu is a Szechuan dish usually made with ground pork stir fried with leeks then simmered with tofu in a spicy sauce spiked with Szechuan peppercorns. Adding Peanut Butter & Co. Old Fashioned Crunchy into the mix turns the sauce into a rich, flavorful gravy that’s perfect for soaking up with a bowl of white rice. I like to serve it with chopped spicy peanuts to add a crunchiness that complements the crispy pork and soft spicy tofu.
- Yield:4 servings
- Prep Time:15 minutes
- Cook Time:15 minutes
- Total Time:30 minutes
Ingredients
For the sauce:
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp fermented black beans
3 1/2 tbsp chili bean paste
2 tbsp rice wine
2 1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground Szechuan peppercorns
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp Peanut Butter & Co. Old Fashioned Crunchy
For the stir fry:
2 tbsp canola oil
10 oz medium ground pork
2 leeks
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
1 pound soft or medium tofu cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp of water
1/3 cup peanuts, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
Directions
Whisk together the chicken stock, black beans, chili bean paste, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and Szechuan peppercorns until combined. Then whisk in the peanut butter until smooth. Set the bowl near your wok.
Thinly slice the white part of the leeks, mince the garlic, and put in a bowl with the ginger. Put the bowl near your wok so that is close at hand.
Heat the wok over medium high heat, then add the canola oil and heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the ground pork and stir-fry while breaking the pork into smaller pieces until cooked through and crispy. Add the leeks, garlic, and ginger and stir fry until the leeks are soft.
Pour in the sauce, stir, then cover and bring to a simmer. Add the tofu cubes and gently stir to coat them in the sauce. Bring the wok to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes to give the tofu time to absorb some of the sauce.
Make a well in the center of the wok and pour in the cornstarch and water mixture. Gently stir, then bring the wok to a simmer to thicken the sauce (approximately 1-2 minutes). Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and sliced green onions. Serve over bowls of rice.
Tags: asian Dinner Lunch Old Fashioned Crunchy Peanut butter Peanut Butter & Co. Peanuts Pork Savory Spicy Tofu Uncategorized