Sichuan Pockmarked Woman's Spiced Bean Curd

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Pockmarked Woman’s Spiced Bean Curd

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I am not overly fond of bean curd (tofu) because it is bland and mostly adds texture to a dish. This recipe is an exception. Pockmarked Woman’s Spiced Bean Curd (also called mapo doufu) is one of those spicy hot Sichuan dishes that make you sweat.

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Legend has it that the wife of a cook named Chan, who lived in Sichuan more than a century ago, created this recipe. Mrs. Chan's face was severely pockmarked, so the Chinese simply call this recipe " Pockmarked Woman's Spiced Bean Curd".

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Besides absorbing lots of flavor from the sauce, the creamy bean curd has a soothing quality. The bean curd must be fresh and some of the ingredients are not found in supermarkets, so you will need to visit your local Chinese grocery.

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In addition to ground pork and bean curd, this recipe calls for cayenne pepper, Sichuan hot bean sauce (also called chili bean sauce) ground bean sauce and Sichuan flower peppercorns.

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Some recipes use fermented black beans instead of the ground bean sauce but there is no substitute for the flower peppercorn powder. If you get the whole flower peppercorns, you will need to crush them first.

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Pockmarked Woman’s Spiced Bean Curd:

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Difficulty:

Easy

Preparation Time:

30 Minutes

Cooking Time:

30 Minutes

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Ingredients:

½ Lb. of Ground Pork

3 tablespoons of Oil

1 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger Root minced

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Sauce Mixture:

1 Tablespoon Ground Bean Sauce

1 Tablespoon Szechwan Hot Bean Sauce

1 Tablespoon Black Soy Sauce

¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

½ Teaspoon Salt

½ Teaspoon Sugar

1 Tablespoon Dry white Wine

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Other Ingredients:

1 Lb. of Fresh Bean Curd (Tofu)

½ Cup Chicken Broth

1 Teaspoon Cornstarch mixed with 1 Teaspoon Water

3 Scallions cut into pea sized pieces including the green part

¼ Teaspoon Flower Peppercorn Powder

1 Teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil

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Cooking Instructions:

1. Rinse the bean curd in cold water and cut into half-inch cubes.
2. Heat a large frying pan (or wok) and slightly brown the ginger in the hot oil.
3. Add the ground pork and stir-fry it until it is no longer pink.
4. Add the sauce mixture and cook for about 30 seconds.
5. Then add the bean curd and cook gently for 4 minutes. Over low heat.
6. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for a minute until the sauce thickens.
7. Add the chopped scallions, peppercorn powder and sesame seed oil and serve with cooked rice.

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