According to legend, in the first year of the Qing Dynasty's Tongzhi era(1861-1875 AD) in China, there was a female chef who was exceptionally beautiful, with a complexion like a hibiscus flower and eyebrows like willow leaves. However, she had a few freckles on her face, and people referred to her as "Ma Po." One day, near closing time, a group of people arrived at the restaurant. They expressed their desire for something that goes well with rice, is hearty, and reasonably priced. But the kitchen had almost run out of ingredients; there were only a few plates of tofu and a small amount of minced beef left. Going out to buy more was definitely not an option at this point. So, she came up with a clever solution, adding doubanjiang and douchi to stir-fry a pot of delicious and spicy tofu. Each person in the group was sweating from the heat and spice, and they added several bowls of rice to their meal. Then, as word spread, this tofu became famous and Mapo Tofu was born.
This dish is rich in animal and plant proteins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins, and carbohydrates. It is known for its benefits in warming the stomach, replenishing energy, nourishing bodily fluids, detoxifying, and enhancing vitality by supplementing essence and marrow.
Cut the tofu into chunks, pour hot water into the wok. Blanch the tofu cubes, and then soak them in cold water.
Pour vegetable oil into the wok, heat the oil until it reaches medium-high hot. Then add chopped green onions and minced meat. After that, stir-fry the minced meat until crispy, push it to the side of the wok. Add doubanjiang and stir-fry until red oil emerges.
Add sugar, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Stir-fry briefly. Then pour in the drained tofu and 50ml of water. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, then drizzle in the cornstarch slurry to thicken.
Sprinkle Sichuan peppercorn powder and chopped green onions on top of the tofu, then drizzle a spoonful of hot oil.