MTofu Apo is one of Chengdu’s favorite foods and is typical of the “spicy generosity” of Sichuan food. Fuchsia Dunlop He explains, though it’s probably best not to translate it as “old woman’s tofu marked with holes.” It may also turn you on to the pleasure of tofu itself, if you’re still on the fence about things, because its creamy smoothness is the perfect foil to the intensely tangy, tingly spices found here. It’s also ready in just minutes.
Preparatory school 10 minutes
He cooks 7 minutes
serves 2
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root
4 green onions
salt
250 grams of plain tofu (I like the soft kind, but see step 3)
2 teaspoons corn flourOr potato or tapioca starch
1 tablespoon Sichuan pepper
2 tablespoons neutral oil
40 grams of minced porkOr ground beef, or a vegetarian alternative
1 tablespoon Sichuan chili paste (Also called hot doubanjiang or prisonersee step 8)
½ tablespoon fermented black beansdrained
1 teaspoon chili flakesdrained if in oil (sprinkle this on top, if you prefer)
85 ml water
1 note on accompaniments
If you’re going to serve it with rice, which is how it’s generally eaten (although you can eat it with pasta instead), set it to cook. It’s also nice with some steamed green vegetables or a cucumber salad on the side. Prepare any accompaniments and all ingredients before you begin, because this dish comes together quickly.
2 Prepare vegetables
Peel and chop the garlic, and peel and grate the ginger – you’ll need about a tablespoon. Trim and discard the ends of the spring onions, and any bits that are too dry on top, then divide them into white and green parts, cutting them diagonally into approximately 2cm lengths and keeping them separate.
3 Prepare the tofu
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tofu into about 2½cm pieces – I like the creamy richness of soft or even silken tofu, while others prefer the light chew of firmer varieties, but any kind should work here, as long as it’s bland. Mix cornflour (or potato starch/tapioca) and 1 tablespoon cold water to make a paste.
4 Boil tofu
Reduce heat under simmering water, then gently fold in the tofu, keeping the pieces as intact as possible. Simmer for a minute then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, toast half the peppers in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then grind them to a powder and set aside.
5 Oil flavour
Place a medium-sized skillet or frying pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once they start smoking, add the remaining whole peppercorns and fry, stirring, until fragrant. Be careful not to let them burn. Extract the peppercorns and discard them, leaving the infused oil in the pan. (You can add flavor to the oil beforehand, if necessary.)
6 Add the minced meat
Add the meat and fry until brown and crispy – it’s used in small quantities here and you’re unlikely to miss it if you choose to leave it out.
Alternatively, chopped soybeans, rehydrated if necessary, other vegetable alternatives, or even finely chopped fried mushrooms or eggplant will also work well.
7 Fry the aromatics
Remove the ground meat from the pan using a slotted spoon, leaving as much oil behind as possible, then transfer it to a plate covered with kitchen paper to drain. Reduce the heat slightly, then fry the garlic whites, ginger and scallions for a minute or so, stirring constantly and being careful not to stick or burn them.
8 Add flavors and thickener
Add the bean paste (easily found in Chinese supermarkets or online; miso paste, preferably red, is a decent if not perfect substitute, although if you use it, you’ll need to add more chili), black beans and fermented chili peppers, stir-fry for 20 seconds, then pour in 85ml cold water and simmer. Add the cornflour paste and stir until well combined.
9- Add the tofu and serve
Carefully drain the boiled tofu so it doesn’t break, then place it in the pan with the fried minced meat. Pour the sauce over the tofu and meat, stirring the tofu as little as possible to keep it intact, and cook until the sauce thickens. Gently pour the mixture into a serving bowl, sprinkle with the reserved ground pepper and green onions, and serve with plain rice.
