In just about any culture, there’s food you go out for, and there’s food you go home for. Going out for pot roast in the United States would probably be about as disappointing as making bao or Peking duck at home in Asia. Not to say that it can’t be done, but some things simply aren’t worth the trouble of making at home, while other things are too simple to justify paying a tab and gratuity for.

Mapo Tofu falls into the latter category. Simply put, it’s a prime example of Chinese home cooking: Hot, quick, easy, really tasty and cheap. Mapo tofu, literally translated as “Pockmarked Old Woman Tofu” (let’s not go there now), is a Szechuan dish known for its firey hot sauce. Sound a little different from what you remembered? That’s entirely possible, since there are about as many variations of Mapo Tofu as there are countries in the world.

In its most authentic Szechuan form, Mapo Tofu is an unrelentingly spicy and oily concoction made with lots of pork, tofu, bean pastes and chili paste. Of course, as this dish made its way around China and other parts of Asia, it got modified to suit the palettes of people in that region. For instance, Japanese Mapo Tofu is less spicy than the tofu of Szechuan Provence, and many variations in the United States make the sauce significantly sweeter than spicy. Others add extra vegetables, spices (like ginger), or other ingredients that are notably absent from the original.

Since I’m not from Szechuan, I can’t attest to my version being true to its origins, but it’s definitely not Americanized. This version has a pleasant burn to it that’s not overwhelming, and maintains a nice balance of savory, sweet, and sour. This version is also kosher and vegetarian, although one could easily substitute ground beef or turkey for the veggie ingredients I list here. Mise en place is a must when making this dish; you’ll find that it cooks up really quickly, so be prepared to prevent unintentional burning! This is one of my all time favorite comfort foods; I hope you like it!

Mapo Tofu, Chinese-Thai American Kosher Style
Serves about 4 – 6

1 block medium-firm tofu
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups of coarsely chopped portabella mushrooms or 1 cup ground beef substitute
1 cup frozen peas
1 – 3 tablespoons siracha or garlic-chili hot sauce, to suit taste
1  1/2 – 2 cups (approximately) broth, such as miso, parve chicken, or veggie
1/2 teaspoon hoisin sauce
5 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in a little water
salt and pepper, to taste

1)  In  a wok over medium-high, heat oil until shimmering and hot.  Add garlic and stir fry until fragrant, a few seconds.  Add chopped mushrooms or ground beef substitute and cook until mushrooms begin to get soft, or beef substitute is browned.

2) Add Siracha according to taste to the wok and stir to combine.  If using less chili paste you may add some paprika for color.  Add broth, hoisin sauce and tofu; the broth should almost cover the tofu, but it doesn’t have to entirely. Turn heat down and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add enough of the corn starch mixture until a gravy-like consistency is achieved.  Fold in peas, turn off heat, and let stand for about 5 more minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.

3)  Garnish with chopped scallions, if desired, and serve over hot steamed rice.

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