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Alexa Fahlman

Recipes for Self Isolation

 

Ma Po Tofu

This is the recipe for the photo I  posted on my story, and the first of this series! I will try to upload new recipes as often as I can. If you have any additional questions, feel free to message me on instagram. Ma po is a classic Sichuan dish. With that said, my recipe is definitely influenced by my Cantonese palate; the seasoning is more delicate, and is slightly sweetened by oyster sauce. Still, it remains flavourful, spicy, pairs perfectly with steamed rice, and most importantly– is super easy to make!

A few notes:

- I  usually like to double the tofu (2 blocks) so it can last me a few lunches or dinners. If you're cooking for a single person, stick to one block of tofu.

-Ma po is traditionally made with pork, but I  swap it for ground chicken or turkey. 

-Marinating your meat is totally optional, but given that you might have more time on your hands, definitely try and marinate it for at least 20-30 mins! I like to have mine sit for about an hour. My basic marinade for any meat when I cook Chinese food is a splash of soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. 

-Douchi, fermented black beans are great if you really love authentic, pungent Chinese flavours. You can go to your international section at your market or buy them at your local Chinese supermarket. Once opened, they last at least 6 months stored in the fridge. A little goes a long way. You can use these to flavour any meats, veggies, or fish too!

Vegetarian/vegan:

-You can easily omit the oyster sauce since I  add it based on my preference,

-Swap ground meat for shiitake mushrooms. You can buy these mushrooms in bulk (they're dried), this way you won't have to worry about their shelf life and can rehydrate them whenever you need. 

Ingredients

(for two) 

-2 packs of tofu (I like soft tofu because it melts in your mouth, you can also buy medium-firm/firm- just no silken!) 

-120 grams half a pack of ground chicken (sub mushrooms 1 & 1/2 cup)

-soy sauce

- 4 ginger slices minced (about 1 tsp.)

-cornstarch (you can also sub for flour, arrowroot, potato starch)

-1 cup chicken stock/veggie stock 

-doubanjiang (chilli bean sauce, Lee Kum Kee brand is good!)

-1-2 garlic cloves minced

Optional Additions:

-green onions for topping

-oyster sauce

-sesame oil

-shaoxing wine (or sake, sherry)

-douchi (fermented black beans)

Marinate

- 120 grams chicken or turkey

- 2 tsp. soy sauce

- 1 tsp. shaoxing wine

- 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

-1/2 tsp. chopped ginger

-1/2 tsp. chopped garlic

1. Combine your ground meat, cooking wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, chopped ginger and garlic. 

2. Mix well  and set aside in the fridge.


Cook

1. Take your marinated meat out of the fridge and set aside.

2.  Drain your tofu. You can let it rest in colander to let the water drain or absorb the water with paper towels. Next, cut the tofu into bite-size cubes, being careful not to crumble it too much- If you're using a medium firm/firm tofu you won't have to worry about being too gentle.

3. Combine 1 tsp of cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water (you can double this if you like a really thick sauce), mix it well to remove any clumps and set aside. 

4. Heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add your meat or mushrooms,  1 tbsp. of fermented black beans (rinse beforehand to cut the saltiness), and 3-5 tbsp. of chilli bean sauce. Depending on how you like your spice level, I would still add at least 3 tbsp. of chilli sauce. 

4. Add a tbsp. of oyster sauce, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a splash of shaoxing wine to build flavour and stop any meat from sticking to the pan. 

5. Once the meat is browned and cooked through (this should take 8-10 mins), add 1 cup of chicken or mushroom stock and bring to a simmer.

6. As your sauce bubbles, re-mix your cornstarch and add it to the sauce, stirring constantly until your sauce thickens- make sure you mix continuously or else the starch will clump up and make your sauce cloudy.

7. Add your tofu and gently fold it into the sauce until it's evenly coated. Once mixed in, let it simmer again for 3-4 minutes to heat your tofu through. When simmering, you can also add frozen edamame, or green peas! 

8. Serve on top of rice with chopped green onions for garnish. This goes great with steamed veggies like gai lan (pictured below) or spinach!! 

hope this helps, enjoy ! :-)