Stir the ma & iuml zena with a dash of cold water into a paste and set aside.ģ. Cut the spring onions into thin rings and put everything aside.Ģ.
![mapo tofu recipe mapo tofu recipe](https://i.redd.it/3646sr5i20r41.jpg)
Add sugar, tofu, and water, and bring to a boil. Add in garlic, ginger, and scallions, and stir until soft and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
![mapo tofu recipe mapo tofu recipe](https://woonheng.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Vegan-Mapo-Tofu-4-360x450.jpg)
I’ve also had good luck with deep red, oily and umami-rich Thai namprik pao-chili paste in soybean oil. I’ve discovered that the best substitutes for doubanjiang tend to be bright red, relatively fresh pickled chilis-like sambal oelek-in combination with fermented black beans.
![mapo tofu recipe mapo tofu recipe](https://www.chinesefoodrecipes.cc/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/13-mit-Sichuanpfeffer-bestreuen.jpg)
For my favorite substitute, I was lucky enough to have on hand some of my mom’s homemade pickled chili paste to use instead. Secondly, as I’ve touched on in my fish-fragrant eggplant recipe, there are some core ingredients-like Pixian doubanjiang-that are close to impossible to find in most stores in the US.ĭoubanjiang is made with regionally-specific pickled peppers and fermented broad beans, and while it is accessible to some shoppers, even I had trouble locating a jar in a multicultural city like Queens, NYC. For one, traditional Szechuan dishes often require a flaming hot wok set atop a powerful heat source that can look like hellfire, which can be just a tad difficult to arrange in a home kitchen.
![mapo tofu recipe mapo tofu recipe](https://www.wenthere8this.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/mapo-tofu-recipe-4.jpg)
I will serve you the disclaimer up front: “authentic” mapo tofu is hard to perfect.