Some like it hot. This version of mapo tofu fits the bill — it’s very spicy and so very delicious.
Eat it with lots of rice and tsukemono or vegetable ban chan to cool the palate.
You may need to go to Chinatown to find chile broad bean paste (toban djan), fermented black bean and fried chile in oil (chile crisp).
If you do, you might have fun perusing the aisles of Chinese shops. You might discover other ingredients and foods you’d like to try.
Mapo Tofu with Butternut Squash
Ingredients:
• 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1-1/2 cups very hot water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 16-to-20-ounce block firm tofu
• 2-1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chile broad bean sauce (toban djan)
• 2 tablespoons chile oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2-1/2 tablespoons fried chile in oil
• 2 tablespoons fermented black beans
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 3/4 cup vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons mushroom powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground toasted Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 cups butternut squash cubes, 3/4-inch in size
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup chopped green onions, in 1/4-inch pieces
Directions:
Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water and soy sauce for 1 hour, or until very soft.
Place tofu in a colander. Fill empty tofu container with water, then place container on top of tofu and let sit 20 minutes to press water out of tofu. Cut tofu into 3/4-inch cubes.
Drain shiitake mushrooms, then squeeze liquid from mushrooms and strain into a medium-sized bowl. Finely chop mushrooms. Whisk chopped mushrooms, tomato paste and chile broad bean sauce into strained liquid. Set aside.
Heat chile and vegetable oils in a 4-quart saucepan over medium. Add black beans and garlic. Saute 2 minutes. Add mushroom mixture, vegetable stock, mushroom powder and peppercorns. Simmer 10 minutes.
Add tofu and butternut squash. Simmer 15-20 minutes, until squash is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
To slightly thicken the sauce, mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Add the mixture to saucepan. Stir the mixture right away. Cook another 2 minutes, until mixture thickens. Use more cornstarch for a thicker sauce.
Sprinkle with chopped green onions when ready to eat and serve with rice. Serves 4.
