Vegetarian Tomato Mapo Tofu

Vegetarian Tomato Mapo Tofu

Mapo tofu, the classic Sichuan dish that is now a Chinese American staple, receives a summery twist with the addition of tomatoes. Its signature tingly and assertive flavors are intensified by the umami tanginess of tomatoes, which also add a hint of fresh acidity. When you add the tofu, it will look like there’s not enough liquid, but rest assured, the tomatoes do break down during the cooking process, providing a soupy base. Not all brands of doubanjiang are created equal, so look for ones that come from Pixian, in Sichuan, as they tend to be the most flavorful thanks to a long period of fermentation under sunlight, resulting in a reddish-brown color with a deep and complex umami.

Yield: 4 servings

Vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)

1 yellow onion, halved and cut into ½-inch wedges 

6 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved or quartered, depending on size

Salt and pepper 

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 to 2 whole dried red chiles (such as er jing tiao or chile de árbol) or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons doubanjiang (fermented spicy broad bean paste) or Chinese black bean sauce 

½ to 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (to your liking)

1 pound tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 (14- to 16-ounce) packages silken tofu, drained

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Cooked rice, to serve

Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot on medium-high. When hot, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and then add the onion and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Stir until the mushrooms and onions have softened and have golden edges, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the ginger, garlic, dried chiles, doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorns, and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, soy sauce and ½ cup water, and stir to combine.

Add the silken tofu to the pot, breaking it up into irregular chunks, and gently stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

To serve, drizzle with sesame oil, top with scallions and eat with rice.

TIP: We really enjoyed this! I did tweak it a little after reading David Tannis's vegan mapo tofu again (it is also an excellent recipe) and soaked a small handful each of dried sliced cloud's ear mushrooms, dried sliced shitake mushrooms and the dried 'gourmet mushroom mix' from Costo. I chopped up the rehydrated mushrooms and added them along with a 1/2 cup of the mushroom water (replacing the 1/2 cup of water) and also added tablespoon or so of rice wine. Served with brown rice and chili crisp.