DISH RESEARCH · Main dish
Mapo tofu
Also known as: Mapo doufu, 麻婆豆腐
Namiko Hirasawa Chen’s selected Japanese adaptation of mapo tofu cooks ground pork and silken tofu in an own sauce with complementary non-spicy and spicy doubanjiang, miso, mirin and potato starch. Scallions and optional sansho finish the mildly spiced version served with rice.
About Mapo tofu
Research draft based on the references below. These notes describe particular recipes and presentations; ingredient connections are still being reviewed.
Chen’s selected mapo tofu is a Japanese adaptation of the Sichuan dish. Ground pork and silken tofu cook in a savoury sauce with miso and mirin, and she uses a combination of non-spicy and spicy doubanjiang for gentler heat.
The tofu drains on paper towels before it is cut into cubes. Garlic and ginger are minced, and sliced scallions are divided between the pan and the final garnish.
The two bean pastes are whisked with oyster sauce, miso, soy sauce, mirin, toasted sesame oil, selected potato starch and water. The starch is incorporated from the start so the sauce can thicken evenly.
Garlic and ginger become fragrant in a separate portion of neutral oil before the pork is cooked and broken into small pieces. The stirred sauce enters next and bubbles until thickened, then the delicate tofu is folded through gently.
Scallions finish the pan and garnish the individual bowls, with sansho pepper optional. Chen offers it over steamed rice or in separate dishes as part of a composed Japanese meal, keeping this milder version distinct from the Sichuan original.
Ingredients in Mapo tofu
Recorded ingredient connections, rather than a complete recipe. Explore an ingredient for more detail.
- Tofubase
- Porkprotein
- Chilli pepperseasoning
- Vegetable Oilcooking medium
- Sugarseasoning
- Soy Sauceother
- Gingerother
- Sichuan pepperother
- Garlicother
- Green onionother
- Soft tofuprotein
- Ground porkprotein
- Doubanjiangsauce
Ingredient connections awaiting review. Versions and preparation vary.
Origins & food traditions
Explore the countries and cooking traditions associated with this dish. These connections do not establish a single birthplace or limit where the dish is eaten today.
Countries
Cuisines & regions
Associations in the cited sources
These describe source-specific cultural or geographic connections. Catalogue links may still need review.
- Countries & places
- Japan
- Cooking traditions
- Japanese
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.