Mapo Dofu

Ingredients

• Scallions

  Spring onions or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw

  6 medium or 90g

• Garlic

  Raw

  3 clove or 9g

• Ginger root

  Raw

  1 tsp or 2g

• Hsin Tung Yang, Chili Sauce With Bean Paste & Garlic

  Hsin Tung Yang Co., Ltd

  4 tsp or 20g

• Chicken broth soup

  Low sodium, canned

  ½ cup or 120g

• Oyster sauce

  Ready-to-serve

  1 tsp or 6g

• Soy sauce

  Made from soy (tamari)

  1 tbsp or 18g

• Sake

  Alcoholic beverage, made from rice

  1 tbsp or 15g

• Sugar

  White, granulated sugar

  1 tsp or 4g

• Cornstarch

  2 tsp or 5g

• Sesame oil

  Salad or cooking

  1 tsp or 5g

• Canola oil

  2 tbsp or 28g

• Ground pork

  96% lean / 4% fat, raw

  16 oz or 454g

• Tofu

  Raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate

  1 ½ cup or 378g

• White rice

  Long-grain, regular, raw, enriched

  3 cup or 555g

Directions

1. Mince the white parts and tender green tops of 4 green onions, and then mince the white part only of the remaining 2 green onions. Cut the tender green tops of these last 2 onions in half lengthwise, and then cut crosswise into 1-inch lengths. Place the minced green onion, garlic, and ginger in 3 small separate bowls. Set the green onion tops aside separately. Cube tofu into small bite-size pieces and set aside. (optional: add dry or fresh peppers for extra heat)
2. Ready the sauce ingredients. Measure the chili bean past into a small bowl. In another small bowl, stir together the chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sake, and sugar. Set the bowls near the stove. Have the cornstarch-water mixture and the bottle of sesame oil near the stove as well.
3. Place a wok or large frying pan over high heat. When it is hot, add the canola oil and swirl the pan to coat the bottom and sides with the oil. When the oil is very hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a spatula so it doesn't burn, until fragrant. Then add the ginger and minced green onions, stir well, and reduce the heat to medium. Add the ground pork and continue to stir constantly, breaking up the pork and integrating it with the other ingredients. When the pork is just cooked, after about 2 minutes, add the chili bean paste and pour in the stock mixture. Using the spatula, combine all the ingredients well with the sauce.
4. Place the tofu in the pan. Cook over medium heat until the tofu is heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir the water cornstarch mixture to recombine, pour it slowly into the pan, and then stir gently until the liquid in the pan thickens and becomes glossy, about 1 minute. Drizzle in a little sesame oil and garnish with the reserved green onion tops.
5. Spoon the tofu-and-pork mixture into a serving bowl or onto a platter, family style, and serve each diner a bowl of rice. Or spoon the mixture over individual bowls of rice and serve.
6. Let's Cook Japanese Food! - Amy Kaneko (29-30)