Do I even need to write an intro for this dish?! It’s one of the most famous Chinese dishes, that there's no need for an anglicized/translated name. As famous and delicious as it is, you'd be surprised how easy it is to make at home. All you need are the right ingredients and recipe! One important Pet-Bo* to making the tofu really flavorful, is to cook this dish ahead of time, and let the tofu sit in the sauce for 30 min. Right before you serve, bring back to boil, and then add in the corn starch mixture to thicken the sauce to your desire. Tofu can be cooked so quickly, but it takes some Kung-Fu to make it flavorful. Instead of letting it simmer or boil for a long time, letting it sit and soak while cooling on its own, is the best way to get the flavor to penetrate all the way through!
Now, just looking at this photo and writing this post makes my mouth water! I think you know what my family is having for dinner tonight! :)
Ingredients:
- Tofu (soft) 1 box
- Ground Pork 1/4 lb
- Ginger (minced) 1 tbsp
- Garlic (minced) 2 tbsp
- Green Onions (finely chopped, separate the green and white parts) x 4
- Szechuan Pepper corn 1 tbsp
- Hot Bean Paste 2-3 tbsp
- Hot chili sauce (optional) 1-2 tsp to taste
- Ground Szechuan Pepper (optional ) 1-2 tsp to taste
- Soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Corn starch Mix (1 tbsp of corn starch mix with 1 tbsp of water)
Recipe:
- At low heat, add in oil and Szechuan pepper corn in the wok, slowly roast it until fragrance is released, about 30 seconds. Please note that, Szechuan pepper corns burn easily, so always cook with low heat and keep a close eye on it.
- Turn the heat off, use a slotted spoon, take out all the Szechuan pepper corn and discard them.
- Back in the wok, with medium high heat, add in ginger, garlic, and the white part of green onion, saute for about 15 seconds until the house smells like chinese heaven!
- Add in ground pork, saute till fully cooked. Break the pork apart really well while cooking.
- In goes the hot bean paste, saute for a few seconds before you put in soy sauce.
- It's time to add in water, then tofu, and bring back to boil.
- Season with some salt to taste.
- Turn the heat down to simmer for a few minutes. If you have time, turn the heat off and let tofu sits for about 30 mins or more. Then bring back to boil right before serving.
- Once it's back to boiled, add in corn starch to thicken the sauce. A little at a time to your desired consistency. Stir right away after you put in the corn starch mixture to avoid lumps. Also, always bring to boil to decide if the consistency is right for you.
- Sprinkle the ground Szechuan Pepper Powder on top give it a good stir, then add in the green part of green onions on top to garnish!
If you like my recipe, don't forget to FOLLOW me to be the first one to know when more yummy dishes are coming! Also, we will be making some amazing videos on how to cook chinese dishes and fun stories about our bi-cultural life style!!
*Pet-Bo means "secret tips" in Taiwanese!
