* 300g extra firm tofu * 3 heaped tsp corn starch * 1 tsp sea salt * 1 tsp smoked paprika * Pinch of cayenne chili pepper * 1 tsp cumin * 4 small spring onions, white and green parts finely chopped * 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced * 1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated * 2 tbsp gochujang paste * 2.5 tbsp tamari * 1 tbsp rice mirin * ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil * ½ tbsp maple syrup * 300g silken tofu * 2 tbsp nutritional yeast * Juice of half a lemon * 400g udon noodles * Fresh coriander leaves, to serve * Sesame seeds, to serve * Fresh chili or chili oil (optional), to serve
###Instructions
1. Start with the tofu, press the extra firm tofu firmly, wrapped in an absorbent kitchen towel or a clean tea towel, in 10 second bursts, until no more visible water comes out. 1. Prepare the sauce before you fry the tofu, so it’s ready to go. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the gochujang, tamari, rice mirin, and maple syrup together, until you have a thick, smooth sauce with no lumps. 1. In a mixing bowl, crumble the tofu into very small pieces (or you can grate it if you prefer), then add the cornstarch, smoked paprika, cumin, 1 tsp sea salt and a pinch of cayenne chili pepper (omit of you don’t like it too spicy!). Stir to combine, then heat a dash of neutral oil in a non-stick pan and fry the tofu on a medium/high heat for 8-9 minutes, stirring regularly, until it begins to crisp up. Make a well or hole in the center of the pan, heat a dash more oil and add the chopped white parts of the spring onion, ¾ of the garlic (3 cloves minced) and the grated fresh ginger. Fry until fragrant, then pour over the sauce, combine well and turn the heat off so it doesn’t burn. You should have a delicious, unctuous looking tofu by now! Set aside whilst you prep the noodles and sauce. 1. To make the silken tofu sauce, add the silken tofu to a blender with the nutritional yeast, the remaining crushed garlic clove and the juice of half a lemon. Blend until very smooth. 1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then combine with the silken tofu sauce in a mixing bowl and stir well with a chopstick, moving the bowl around to help cover the noodles in the sauce. 1. Serve into bowls with the mapo tofu on top, garnishing with fresh coriander leaves, the green parts of the spring onion, sesame seeds and optional fresh chili or chili oil.
“very minimal ingredients” proceeds to list 20+ ingredients
furtive
I keep a decent pantry with a solid selection of Japanese staples, and I’d still need to buy at least seven things to make this recipe. That said, I have never made a sauce with silken tofu before and might be willing to try that out.
womanontheedge_2018
C’mon – this is as closely related to mapo tofu as it is to carbonara. Can we just not call this mapo tofu!? It’s not even in the ballpark.
ZhtWu
This looks good, but I was expecting at least Sichuan pepper and Doubanjiang for it to be mapo tofu.
lordofsquirrels
Mapo Tofu is SIchuen with the main flavoring coming from fermented broad bean paste and numbing peppercorns. This recipe has neither. Also, Gochujang is a Korean ingredient.
This is more of a pantry clear out spicy tofu.
Jaambiee
How many ingredients do you need before it stops being “minimal”?
its10pm
Noodles reminds me of those canned Mac and cheese we used to have here. I miss that crap.
gnyaa
I have pretty much all the ingredients and I will try it because it looks good but why call it mapo tofu when it has no connection with the original recipe?
cognisantpotato
I made this today and it was delicious! Definitely should not be called mapo tofu, but it’s very tasty despite the unfortunate naming choice. I called it a spicy tofu hassle when I told my friends about it
10 Comments
###Ingredients
* 300g extra firm tofu
* 3 heaped tsp corn starch
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 1 tsp smoked paprika
* Pinch of cayenne chili pepper
* 1 tsp cumin
* 4 small spring onions, white and green parts finely chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
* 1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
* 2 tbsp gochujang paste
* 2.5 tbsp tamari
* 1 tbsp rice mirin
* ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
* ½ tbsp maple syrup
* 300g silken tofu
* 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
* Juice of half a lemon
* 400g udon noodles
* Fresh coriander leaves, to serve
* Sesame seeds, to serve
* Fresh chili or chili oil (optional), to serve
###Instructions
1. Start with the tofu, press the extra firm tofu firmly, wrapped in an absorbent kitchen towel or a clean tea towel, in 10 second bursts, until no more visible water comes out.
1. Prepare the sauce before you fry the tofu, so it’s ready to go. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the gochujang, tamari, rice mirin, and maple syrup together, until you have a thick, smooth sauce with no lumps.
1. In a mixing bowl, crumble the tofu into very small pieces (or you can grate it if you prefer), then add the cornstarch, smoked paprika, cumin, 1 tsp sea salt and a pinch of cayenne chili pepper (omit of you don’t like it too spicy!). Stir to combine, then heat a dash of neutral oil in a non-stick pan and fry the tofu on a medium/high heat for 8-9 minutes, stirring regularly, until it begins to crisp up. Make a well or hole in the center of the pan, heat a dash more oil and add the chopped white parts of the spring onion, ¾ of the garlic (3 cloves minced) and the grated fresh ginger. Fry until fragrant, then pour over the sauce, combine well and turn the heat off so it doesn’t burn. You should have a delicious, unctuous looking tofu by now! Set aside whilst you prep the noodles and sauce.
1. To make the silken tofu sauce, add the silken tofu to a blender with the nutritional yeast, the remaining crushed garlic clove and the juice of half a lemon. Blend until very smooth.
1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then combine with the silken tofu sauce in a mixing bowl and stir well with a chopstick, moving the bowl around to help cover the noodles in the sauce.
1. Serve into bowls with the mapo tofu on top, garnishing with fresh coriander leaves, the green parts of the spring onion, sesame seeds and optional fresh chili or chili oil.
[Source](https://www.instagram.com/reels/DU1EKAhCFZ6/)
“very minimal ingredients”
proceeds to list 20+ ingredients
I keep a decent pantry with a solid selection of Japanese staples, and I’d still need to buy at least seven things to make this recipe. That said, I have never made a sauce with silken tofu before and might be willing to try that out.
C’mon – this is as closely related to mapo tofu as it is to carbonara. Can we just not call this mapo tofu!? It’s not even in the ballpark.
This looks good, but I was expecting at least Sichuan pepper and Doubanjiang for it to be mapo tofu.
Mapo Tofu is SIchuen with the main flavoring coming from fermented broad bean paste and numbing peppercorns. This recipe has neither. Also, Gochujang is a Korean ingredient.
This is more of a pantry clear out spicy tofu.
How many ingredients do you need before it stops being “minimal”?
Noodles reminds me of those canned Mac and cheese we used to have here. I miss that crap.
I have pretty much all the ingredients and I will try it because it looks good but why call it mapo tofu when it has no connection with the original recipe?
I made this today and it was delicious! Definitely should not be called mapo tofu, but it’s very tasty despite the unfortunate naming choice. I called it a spicy tofu hassle when I told my friends about it