DIY Szechuan Food Porn

[frobzwiththingz]

So, Ma Po Tofu just happens to be one of my favorite Szechuan dishes. Wonderfully savory, fragrant, and solidly spicy all at the same time. It used to be the case that getting a decent dish of Ma Po ToFu was fairly easy to do around here. But over the past decade or so most of the places that served up a version deserving of mention have closed up shop and vanished. There's no shortage of Chinese restaurants in the Boston area, but outside of Mary Chungs, order some Ma Po Tofu and what you'll probably end up with is this disappointing imposter made with a wimpy boring brown sauce very much like you see on just about everything served at those American/Polynesian style "chinese" restaurants. You know the ones i'm talking about. They have a menu full of alcoholic drinks with names like "Suffering Bastard" served in large fancy tiki-head bowls with umbrellas. And, i hate to say it, but even Marys seems to have toned down their version to the standard Western palate, and it just doesn't have the kick and pizazz it used to. Sigh.

Theres a new chinese/japanese restaurant where i live, called Karma. It's a very good place. Good sushi, nice Bento-box lunches, excellent Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. In fact, the Eggplant in Garlic Sauce was good enough that i decided to give their Ma Po Tofu a shot. It arrived. Bland, Bland, Bland. No black bean essence at all. Boring. Oh well. BZZZT. Thanks for playing. Crap.

Every once in a while i get a bee in my bonnet to reverse-engineer some food i really like but can only get in ethnic restaurants. I then spend the next several months working on it until satisfied. It was clearly time to attack this one.

It's now a month later. Sorry, Marys; i don't need you any more...

[2010-03-28 Edit: I've recently been made aware of this place; _Fu Loon_ in Malden Square, Malden, Ma. Their MaPoTofu has been discussed on ChowHound as being the real thing. I went there today, and tried it. It is indeed the real deal. I'd order it again when i eventually go back. They have a lot of rarely seen authentic Cantonese and Szechuan stuff on their menu, in addition to the more usually seen fare. Which they also do well; their General Gaus' is the best i've ever had. The MaPoToFu is not actually listed in the menu, you need to just ask for it. So it *is* possible to obtain good MaPoToFu in at least 1 chinese restaurant in the greater Boston area. However, in my not so humble opinion, what you will get if you follow the procedure below is superior.]



Frobzwiththingzs' Ma Po Tofu Recipe. This is the real McCoy. Fragrant, savory, spicy, numbing. Sit up straight, wipe your brow, and stop mumbling.

Ingredients:
25 grams (roughly 1 tablespoon) sweetened Black Bean Paste [source: chinese grocery]
50 grams (roughly 2 tablespoons) sweetened Red Bean Paste [source: chinese grocery]
10 grams (roughly 1 teaspoon) Salted Black Bean Chili Sauce [source: a *good* chinese grocery]
10 grams (roughly 1 teaspoon) Fermented Black Bean Chili Sauce [source: a *good* chinese grocery]
~300 grams (1/4-1/3 lb) ground pork
1 Brick (about 18 oz) Silken Tofu
4 cloves garlic
2-3 scallions
2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Powder (*NOT* Cayenne! You want ground Chile De Arbol, or similar) [source: a *good* chinese grocery]
1 Tablespoon Szechuan Peppercorns. [source: Penzeys. You can get them again! they were banned for import for a few years due to a canker virus]
3 Tablespoons Chili Oil [source: chinese grocery]
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil (Soybean preferable. Canola OK. Corn oil? No.]
1 Tablespoon Sesame oil
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

Illustrated procedure:
0) Mix the 4 bean-based ingredients (the tofu does not count for this step) together in a small bowl. Set aside.
1) Chop up the 4 garlic cloves. Set aside. Chop up the scallions. Set aside.
2) Dice the Tofu into ~1 inch cubes.
3) Lightly toast the Szechuan peppercorns in a pan. then grind them up in a mortar&pestle.

4) Heat up Wok on medium flame. Pour in the 1T Veggie oil and 1T sesame oil. Let oil heat up, but not so much as to have it smoke. Toss in garlic.
5) Fry garlic until it just starts turning color.
6) Add ground pork. Sautee until all redness disappears.
7) Add the beanpaste mix next. Mix well.
8) Add the 3T chili oil and 2T Red Pepper Powder next. Mix well.
9) Add the ground Szechuan peppercorns next. Keep stirring.
10) Add the tofu next.
11) Add in a small amount of water; enough to thin the sauce to a medium-gravy-like consistency. 1/4 - 1/3rd cup should do. Add in the soy sauce. stir gently Silken tofu breaks apart easily; try to keep it as whole as possible. Let simmer for a few minutes, stirring every once in a while.
11) toss the scallions on top.
12) Turn off flame. Cover and let stand for a couple of minutes.
13) Serve it. YUM.

Comments

[kimberlogic.livejournal.com]

wow - thanks for sharing the recipe! I *love* Ma Pa Tofu and have a really hard time convincing waiters that I want it authentic and truly spicy/hot.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

do i now have to invent the "suffering bastard" with a little umbrella in it?

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

I vote yes.

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

did you realy post a recipe with measurements in grams?

Karma has good bento boxes,which make for a decent lunch,but I've so far struck out on their chinese food,way out,as in family feeling stomach ickies,and we're usually not prone to that

[spinrabbit.livejournal.com]

I've been in England too long, the grams didn't strike me as odd.

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

but come on,you didn't envision the postal scale?

[tactical-grace.livejournal.com]

I haven't been much of a fan of Karma -- maybe should try the Chinese side, but our trip there for sushi yielded two very disappointing chirashi. The roll we had on the side was good, but so far I have them filed under the 'standard Chinese/Japanese fusion, decent Japanese but too expensive, stick to Chinese'...except that I haven't actually tried the Chinese yet.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Sounds extremely yummy.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

i'll have to find the place works buys from. when it's spicey, it's not half bad. they serve us whole fish too.

actually, it's one of two places. the third one i like is in vinyl sq? first best egglant i've had in ages, but the "work place" has a nicer one. love that stuff.

#

[veek.livejournal.com]

Amagad. I must try this.

By "a *good* chinese grocery," do you mean something better than Super 88?

[frobzwiththingz.livejournal.com]

Oh, right, you've got *that* place somewhat nearby. I don't think you'll have any problems :-)

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

Looks tasty (but I'd try it with a different meat).

Have you ever been to Beijing Star in Waltham? It's been a while since I've been there but they have Ma Pa Tofu on the menu.

And the Boston Globe recommends Sichuan Garden in Brookline for Ma Po Tofu.
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2008/08/20/8_ways_to_go_for_gastronomic_gold/ (page two)

[frotz.livejournal.com]

Neat! I'm not sure I have sufficient attachment to the dish to deal with making it (it's a bit far afield from my set of available supplies and usual kitchen workflow), but it's nice to know I can.

I've also got local Chinese that makes me happy, that being Sichuan Gourmet in Billerica. It looks like a total dive (in a strip mall with a laundromat and a liquor store), but except for a lot of their food being too damn hot to eat I really like it.

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

It looks to be spicier than I might be able to handle, but, it also looks rather tasty. And the prep pictures were pretty good, too.

I also liked the core-drill on the table. ;)

[babasyzygy.livejournal.com]

Fantastic! Ma Po Tofu is one of our favorite dishes.

Mind you, we'll either omit or substitute for the pig.

[radioactiverich.livejournal.com]

Aha! It WAS you who mentioned the Eggplant in Garlic sauce!