Brendan Pang’s v2 Mapo Tofu

“This one is for those spicy lovers out there! The mouth tingling sauce coats the smooth silken tofu with tasty bits of v2 mince and spring onions throughout. Serve with steamed jasmine rice!”

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Chinese chilli oil
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground
• 3 tbsp ginger, minced finely
• 3 tbsp garlic, minced finely
• 225g v2 mince
• 1-2 tbsp spicy bean sauce
• 2/3 cup vegetable broth
• 450g silken tofu, cut into 2.5cm cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped

Method:

  1. Heat ¼ cup of oil in your wok over medium heat. Add your ground Sichuan peppercorns and stir occasionally for 30 seconds. Add the ginger. After 1 minute, add the garlic. Fry for
    another minute, and then turn up the heat to high and add the v2 mince. Break up the mince and fry it until it’s cooked through and browning around the edges.
  2. Add the spicy bean sauce to the mixture and stir it in well. Add vegetable broth to the wok and stir. Let this simmer for a minute or so. While that’s happening, ready your tofu and also put a ¼ cup of water in a small bowl with your cornstarch and mix until thoroughly combined.
  3. Add the cornstarch mixture to your sauce and stir. Let it bubble away until the sauce starts to thicken.
  4. Add your chilli oil. Stir the oil into the sauce and add the tofu. Use your spatula to gently toss the tofu in the sauce. Let everything cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the sesame oil, sugar
    and spring onions and stir gently.
  5. Serve with a final sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorn powder as a garnish if desired.