Mapo Tofu in 10 Minutes with Silken Tofu
A 10-minute Mapo tofu dish made with tender silken tofu and ground pork.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This one-bowl dish comes together in just 10 minutes using tender silken tofu and ground pork. Parboiling the silken tofu beforehand keeps extra water from seeping out and helps it hold its shape for a clean finish. Stir-fried spicy with doubanjiang and chilies, it makes an easy and satisfying one-bowl meal.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Cook time
- 10 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Ground pork100 g
- Silken tofu (yeondubu)1 block, 250 g
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2 stalk
- Thai bird's eye chilies5
- Water1 cup
Meat marinade
- Ginger juice1/2 tbsp
- Fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1/2 tbsp
- Sugar1/2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
Seasoning
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Doubanjiang (chili bean paste)1 tbsp
- Miso paste (or commercial soybean paste 1/3 tbsp)1/2 tbsp
- Potato starch1 tbsp
- Water1 tbsp
- Chicken bouillon powder1/2 tsp (optional)
- Toasted sesame oila little
- Firm tofu with good texture works great, and you can also use soft tofu (sundubu) instead of silken tofu.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare ground pork, along with silken tofu, doubanjiang, Thai chilies, large green onion, and potato starch.
For the seasoning, miso paste and chicken bouillon powder are also listed, but I substituted commercial soybean paste and skipped the powder.
Season the meat
To the meat, add 1/2 tbsp ginger juice, 1/2 tbsp fine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), and a little ground black pepper; mix well to season it and remove any gaminess.
Chop the ingredients
Cut the silken tofu and large green onion into small bite-sized pieces for easy spooning, and cut the Thai chilies two or three times.
Parboil the silken tofu
Place the silken tofu into rolling boiling water, parboil briefly, and drain in a strainer.
They say parboiling it like this prevents extra water from leaching out and firms up the tofu.
Stir-fry the meat
Heat oil in a pot and add 1 tbsp minced garlic, the chilies, and 1 tbsp doubanjiang, stir-frying briskly to bring out the aroma.
Add the meat and stir-fry so it does not burn.
Once the meat is cooked through, pour in 1 cup of water and bring it to a rolling boil.
Add 1/3 tbsp commercial soybean paste instead of miso paste, and I skipped the chicken bouillon powder.
Let it simmer so the flavors meld together.
Pour in the starch slurry evenly, add the silken tofu and green onion, and stir gently until it reaches a thick consistency to finish.
Turn off the heat and finish with a little toasted sesame oil.
Complete
It has been a while since I had Mapo tofu.
Because it is made with silken tofu, you barely even need to chew, and with the finely minced meat, it goes down so smoothly.
With just some kimchi, this is a wonderful dish you can finish in a flash.
Try making Mapo tofu every now and then for a weekend lunch.
Ppunwife's tips
- Parboiling the silken tofu once in rolling boiling water prevents extra water from releasing and firms up the tofu.
FAQ
Why should you parboil the silken tofu in boiling water first?
It prevents extra moisture from seeping out during cooking and helps the tender tofu hold its shape.
Can I use regular tofu or soft tofu (sundubu) instead of silken tofu?
Yes, you can substitute regular tofu or soft tofu (sundubu) to make it.
What should I do if I don't have miso paste for the seasoning?
You can substitute 1/3 tbsp of commercial Korean soybean paste (doenjang) instead.
