|
copyright
©1999-2000
DigsMagazine.com.
|
Quick Fix |
Ma Po Tofu
Anyone who thinks of tofu as a bland,
tasteless food hasn’t tried this dish. A Chinese restaurant staple, Ma
Po Tofu is incredibly easy to make at home and can be assembled and
cooked in far less than the amount of time it takes to cook up some
plain rice.
ingredients
1 package tofu, soft or firm [not silken]
½ pound lean ground pork [or substitute ground turkey if you
prefer]
3 cloves garlic
2-3 stalks scallions [reserve a small handful for garnishing the
dish]
1 tbsp chili bean paste
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp cornstarch paste [cornstarch mixed with water]
1 tsp cooking oil
stock or water |
|
time
20 min
serves 3-4 |
1. Mince 3 cloves garlic and
chop 2-3 stalks scallions finely. Drain 1 package of tofu and cut into
¾" cubes.
2. Add oil to a wok and heat on
medium high. Stir-fry the ground meat. When meat is no longer pink, add
the chopped garlic and stir.
3. Add 1 tbsp chili bean paste, 1/2
tsp salt and 1 tsp soy sauce, then stir. Let cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add tofu and scallions; stir and
cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, then add enough stock or water to
almost [but not quite] cover.
5. Let mixture come to a boil,
stirring occasionally, and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Taste; add more salt if it doesn’t
taste salty enough, more chili bean paste if it’s not spicy enough, a
pinch of sugar if you find it a tad too salty.
7. Stir in the cornstarch paste;
cook until the sauce starts to thicken.
8. Pour into a shallow bowl and
drizzle with sesame oil. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions. Serve
with plenty of steamed white rice.
o
--------------------------->
lounge .
nourish .
host
. laze . home.
|
