Korean style - Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu is one of my favorite chinese dishes.  Every other visit to a chinese restaurant, this dish is always ordered at my request.  So it is only natural for me to attempt this delicious dish.

I know Mapo Tofu is traditional a Chinese dish, its origins from Szechuan, China but due to its popularity, other countries has taken on their version of Mapo Tofu.  The awesome youtube channel of "Cooking with Dog" cooks up a Japanese version of this dish.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhwPQL9dFYc   Korean youtube channel chef  "Maangchi"  cooks up her version here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trqL9v7GSGw.  

The reason I made a "Korean" version was because the closest thing I had to the required bean paste was the Korean "Gochujang" - a rich & aromatic fermented chili paste & "Chujang" - a fermented black bean sauce.  Hence, the Korean style Mapo Tofu.  

Sesame oil, Chujang, Gochujang

I should point out, this is sooooooo easy.  Total cooking time takes less than 20mins :) So lets get cookin'!

Ingredients:
1 box of medium to firm tofu
100g of ground pork
1 tbsp each of minced garlic and ginger
1 tbsp of chinese cooking wine
1 tbsp of soya sauce
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of sesame oil
1tbsp of Chujang
3 tbsp of Gochujang > lessen if you want it less spicy
1 tsp of cornstarch, dissolve in cold water
1 cup of chicken broth

Directions:
1.  Rinse the block of tofu and pat dry with paper towel.  Tofu contains lots of water so in order to press it out, wrap your tofu in a dry paper towel,  place it on a plate and place a heavy flat bottom plate(i used a glass tuberware) on top of the tofu and let it drain the excess water for 20mins.  Then dice tofu into 1cm cubes and set aside.

2.  Heat a flat bottom wok style pan with a splash of olive oil & sesame oil, once heated (on medium high)  throw in minced pork. Once most of the pinkness of pork is cooked out, add in your garlic and ginger.  Stir. Splash in chinese cooking wine and wait until liquid and alcohol evaporates.

3.  When most of the liquid from wine and meat is cooked out, add in soya sauce, Chujang, Gochujang.  Mix well with the meat for a minute or two

4.  Add in 1 cup of broth and stir.  Gently add in the diced tofu and mix so all the sauce covers every cube of tofu.  Add in sugar.  Cover the pot for 15mins and allow to simmer on low heat for 15mins

Let the tofu and meat absorb all the yummy flavour for 15mins :) 

  5.  Once simmered, it should like something like the above picture.  Make sure your cornstarch mixture is evenly mixed.  (no clumps please!)  and throw into the sauce, allowing the cornstarch to cook out to thicken the sauce.

After the cornstarch was been cooked out.

6.  Once the sauce has thicken, turn off the heat.  How easy was that? :D :D Your Mapo Tofu is complete and ready to be served. :D :D  I must say, I now much prefer this home cooked version far better than most restaurants.  NO msg was added. :D Garnish with fresh green onion and crushed sesame seeds!

korean style Mapo Tofu

ENJOY!