I remembered when I was in college in the States, I was very busy with a tv production project at one point. One of my house mates then cooked Mapo Tofu for dinner and we gobbled down the entire pot of it with white rice. It was a truly enjoyable respite from daily frozen dinners that I never forget.
This Tofu with Minced Pork Recipe is just like Mapo Tofu that’s best paired with rice. Cheap to cook, easy to prepare – perfect for a weekday dinner.
Tofu with Minced Pork Recipe
Ingredients
100g minced pork
300g silken tofu, cut into cubes
1 heaped tsp minced garlic
1 tsp taucheo (fermented soy bean), bruised
1 tsp fermented dried black beans, washed, patted dry & bruised
1 chilli padi (bird’s eye chilli), sliced very thinly
1/2 cup water
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp corn flour
1 tsp + 1 tsp sesame oil (1 tsp for marinade, 1 tsp for sauce)
white pepper
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp corn starch solution
handful of chopped spring onions as garnish
Instructions
1. Marinate minced pork with light soy sauce, sugar, corn flour, 1 tsp sesame oil and a few dashes of white pepper for at least 15 minutes. Set aside in fridge.
2. Saute garlic, taucheo, black beans and chilli padi till fragrant. Add minced pork, stir well and break up any lumps of meat if present.
3. Add water, 1 tsp sesame oil and dark soy sauce. Bring to a boil and add in tofu.
4. Add corn starch solution a little at a time and gently stir till sauce thickens to a consistency you like.
5. Garnish with spring onions and serve with steamed rice.
The gravy is savoury salty with a tiny kick from the chilli padi. Ladle this over rice or porridge, it’s just so yummy. Bon appetit!