Vegetarian Mapo Tofu

Name: Vegetarian Mapo Tofu
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Asia, Chinese, Asian
Ingredients: 2 cups, water; , Salt; 1/2 ounce dried, shiitake mushrooms; 1 tablespoon, Sichuan peppercorns; 12 , scallions; 28 ounces, soft tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 9 , garlic cloves, peeled; 1 (3-inch) piece, ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds; 1/3 cup, broad bean chili paste; 1 tablespoon, fermented black beans; 1/2 cup, vegetable oil; 1 tablespoon, Sichuan chili powder; 4 ounces fresh, shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, or oyster mushrooms, trimmed; 2 tablespoons, hoisin sauce; 2 teaspoons, toasted sesame oil; 2 tablespoons, soy sauce; 1 tablespoon, cornstarch

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By Andrew Janjigian

Appears in Cook's Illustrated September/October 2017

This braise of custardy tofu cloaked in a garlicky, spicy sauce is a signature dish of the Sichuan province.

SERVES4 to 6

TIME1¼ hours

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Our version of vegetarian mapo tofu is bold in flavor, with a balanced spiciness. We started with cubed soft tofu, poached gently in salted water to help the cubes stay intact in the braise. For the sauce base, we used plenty of ginger and ...

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