Mapo Tofu Done Milder

• 600 gsilken tofu, drained
• 300mlvegetable stock
• 2 tbsplight soy sauce
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tbspcornflour
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 300gchestnut mushrooms, very finely chopped
• 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 20gginger, finely chopped
• 5spring onions, whites and greens sliced separately
• 11/2 tbsp doubanjiang (Sichuan chilli bean paste)
• 1/2 tspSichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
• 1 tsptoasted sesame oil
• 1 tbspchilli oil, optional (optional)
• fine salt
• black pepper
• 300gbasmati rice
• 300gpak choi (about 3 heads), halved lengthways

Method

1. 1Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then put it in a saucepan with 600ml of cold water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 10 minutes until the water has been absorbed, then leave it off the heat with the lid on for at least 5 minutes.
2. 2Cut the tofu into 2.5cm cubes and leave them on the board; silken tofu breaks if you move it more than you need to. Stir the stock, soy sauce, sugar and cornflour together in a jug.
3. 3Heat a wok over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Lay the pak choi in cut side down and cook for 2 minutes until charred, then add a splash of water and cook for 1 minute more until the stems are just tender. Tip onto a plate and season with a pinch of salt.
4. 4Wok back on high with the rest of the oil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring only now and then, until they have given up their water and turned brown and crumbly. This is your mince, so let them colour properly.
5. 5Turn the heat to medium. Add the garlic, ginger, spring onion whites and doubanjiang and stir for 1 minute until the oil turns red and it smells deeply savoury. Give the jug a stir and pour it in, then bubble for 1 minute until glossy and thickened.
6. 6Slide in the tofu and spoon the sauce over it, pushing rather than stirring so the cubes stay whole. Simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce clings to the tofu and the cubes are hot to the centre. Take off the heat and add the sesame oil, spring onion greens, the ground Sichuan pepper and a grind of black pepper.
7. 7Serve over the rice with the pak choi alongside, and put the chilli oil on the table for anyone who wants it hotter.

Per serving

kcal

530

protein

21.5g

fibre

3.6g

carbs

74.5g

fat

16.8g