Vegan Mapo Tofu Recipe 

Words by Joanna Fan (she/her)

Serves two 

Ingredients

  • 1 spring onion stalk

  • 2 cloves of garlic  

  • 1 tablespoon of chopped ginger 

  • 1/2 cup of peas 

  • 1–2 tablespoons of doubanjiang, a.k.a broad bean paste (Pi Xian brand my favourite)

  • 1 tablespoon Chinese shaoxing wine 

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon sugar 

  • 250 grams of firm tofu

  • 1/2 cup of water 

  • 2 teaspoons of cornstarch 

  • 2 tablespoons of any neutral oil

  • Salt to taste

Method

1. Cut tofu into 1cm cubes 

2. Put the oil into a wok on medium heat

3. Toss in the spring onion, ginger, and garlic 

4. Put in the broad bean paste and stir to extract the aroma

6. Pop the tofu in

7. Splash in shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sugar

8. Stir, baby, stir

9. Pour in the water 

10. Stew for five mins

11. Put in the peas and turn the heat down a little

12. Stew for another five mins 

13. Dissolve cornstarch in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons of water and pour that slurry in to thicken the dish

14. Sprinkle in salt to taste 

15. Garnish with more sliced spring onions 

16. Serve with rice and devour that shit

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