Try your hand at tongue-tingling tofu
This vegan version of a Sichuan staple is irresistible, finds Becky Krystal.
Ieat a lot of plant-based meals, but often the fact that they don’t contain meat is beside the point. So it’s one of my pet peeves when a recipe, restaurant or brand makes a bigger deal out of what a meatless dish isn’t than what it is.
This Vegetarian Mapo Tofu slides right into the meat-free category without a lot of fuss. Food writer and cookbook author Diana Kuan’s recipe is designed, not so much as an analogue to a meat-version but, as an accurate representation of a vegetarian dish that Kuan discovered when she was living in China.
Like the more well-known formulations with meat, this recipe includes Sichuan peppercorns for an almost piney flavour and that trademark mouth-numbing sensation. Savoury funk to balance the spice comes from black bean sauce, made with fermented black beans, and chilli bean paste, which adds another layer of fermented beans plus the heat of hot peppers. Rehydrated and fried shiitake mushrooms contribute depth and body. As an added bonus, the soaking water gets used as the umami-rich backbone of the ‘‘luscious sauce’’, as Kuan puts it. It comes together in a dish you won’t be able to stop eating, regardless of how tingly your tongue becomes.
Kuan says anything from soft to firm is fine to use but there’s nothing that can mimic the tongue-tingling presence of Sichuan peppercorns.
Serves: 4-6
This meat-free version of a popular Sichuan dish boasts tender tofu draped in a savoury, mouthnumbing sauce. The characteristic tongue-tingling comes from Sichuan peppercorns. 30 grams (about 12) dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoons chilli bean paste 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine; may substitute dry sherry)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
to 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper, or more as needed
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons black bean sauce 3 scallions or spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, white and green parts separated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger root, minced (1 teaspoon)
1 block tofu (soft, medium or firm; about 450g), drained and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
Combine the shiitake mushrooms and cup of warm water in a mixing bowl. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes, then lift out the mushrooms and transfer to a cutting board, squeezing as much moisture out of them as you can back into the bowl. Reserve the soaking water, straining it if it has grit or dirt. Discard the stems, then finely chop the shiitake mushroom caps.
Add the chilli bean paste, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and Sichuan pepper (to taste) to the bowl of mushroom soaking water, stirring to incorporate. This will be your sauce.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. It is hot enough when a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact.
Add the peanut or vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Add the minced mushrooms; stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the mushrooms are crispy. Reduce the heat to medium; add the black bean sauce, white parts of the scallions, garlic and ginger; stir-fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Pour in the mushroom-mixture sauce; once the liquid starts to boil, reduce to a gentle bubbling over medium-low heat. The liquid in the pan should be a nice red colour. Gently add the tofu cubes, being careful to not move them around too much so they don’t break up. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes so the tofu cooks and absorbs the sauce. You can spoon some of the sauce over the tofu cubes to help better coat them.
Carefully push the tofu to the sides and create a small well at the centre of the pan. Stir in the cornstarch mixture there. Cook for another minute, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Transfer to a deep plate or wide bowl, sprinkle the scallion greens on top with additional Sichuan pepper as needed, and serve hot. – Washington Post
Adapted from a recipe by Diana Kuan at AppetiteForChina. com.