Spicy Mabo Tofu

The first time I had Mabo Tofu was in Japan. I was studying abroad in Kyoto, and decided to make a visit to Kobe's Chinatown. It was cold and rainy, as many cities in Japan are in the winter. This dish really hit the spot-warm, spicy and delicious.

Mabo Tofu is a Japanese take on a Sichuan dish. Tofu is stir fried with leeks, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. The Sichuan original has the addition of fermented black beans, which are quite tasty, but I can never seem to motivate to cook them. Some preparations can overdo it with the sesame seed oil, but a good Mabo Tofu should not be oily.

I replaced the beef with ground turkey, I found it to be a little cheaper (and healthier!). This dish is great by itself, with freshly cooked rice or with noodles!

Ingredients

Meat Mix
1 lbs ground meat (Turkey, lamb or beef)
3 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Vegetable Mix

Raiyu (Chinese Hot Chili Oil)
Sichuan Peppercorn Oil
Dried Mikan from the Raiyu, sliced
Leek, minced 5 tablespoons

Ginger, peeled and minced 2 tablespoons
Garlic  minced 1 tablespoon
1/2 teaspoon roasted Sichuan peppercorns
3 tomatoes, skin removed, diced
1/2 cup fish stock
3 teaspoons Morrocan Ketchup or regular ketchup mixed with 1 teaspoon harrisa
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon Korean Chili Pepper
Tofu, cut into cubes

Remove the tofu and wash gently. Place the tofu on a plate. Place a second plate on top of the tofu. Place a book or a heavy object (pot with water?) on the top plate. Let the tofu sit for 20-30 minutes as you prepare the other ingredients. This will force water out of the tofu, making it firmer.

Heat the Raiyu and Sichuan peppercorn oil in a wok until very hot, but not smoking. When their aroma is released, add the ground meat and stir fry for several minutes until the meat is no longer pink. Remove the meat.

Add more Raiyu and Sichuan peppercorn oil to the wok. Stir fry the leek, ginger, garlic and peppercorns for several minutes, until the leeks is cooked through.










Add the tomatoes and stir fry for a few minutes until the tomatoes begin to sweat and break down. Add the fish stock, Morrocan Ketchup, paprika and chili powder. Stir to incorporate. Taste. Add additional paprika and chili powder to taste. Add the cooked meat back into the wok.

Add the tofu, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the tofu is cooked through.

Serve with cooked rice!

Turkey Larb

Larb is a spicy and sour ground meat salad from Lao and parts of northern Thailand. I had been craving larb for a while, and decided to make it myself. I scoured the internet and cookbooks for recipes, but eventually settled on a larb recipe from one of the blog's I follow, Wandering Chopsticks. This recipe is legit-and very very tasty.






I think what makes the dish is the addition of Bot Thinh/Kao Kua (Vietnamese/Thai Ground Roasted Rice Powder). When I was making this dish, I was debating if I wanted to take the effort to make the ground roasted rice powder. I had mochiko powder and thought it would be fairly similar. I am glad I took the extra effort to make the grounded rice powder. It did not take all that much longer, and it really lends a delicious texture to the meat, while imparting a subtle flavor.

Doctoring up the Vietnamese Fish Dipping sauce is also relatively easy and really adds a nice flavor to this dish!

Using a lean meat like turkey was good in this recipe because it created less fat that I had to drain out!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of Bot Thinh/Kao Kua (Vietnamese/Thai Ground Roasted Rice Powder)
Vietnamese Fish Dipping Sauce
1/2 lbs of ground meat of your choice (I used turkey, because it is lean and less fatty)
a few springs of mint leaves
a few chives (chopped) or scallions (thinly sliced)
a few kaffier lime leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
Thick Homemade noodles, or store bought rice noodles (be sure to get the thick kind)

Directions
Saute the ground meat in a wok with a little oil until fully cooked. Move the meat to the sides and press down to remove most of the oil. Remove the meat and place in a separate bowl.

Add a 1/4 cup of the Vietnamese fish dipping sauce and mix it with the meat. Taste and add more if necessary.

Add 1 tablespoon of the roasted rice powder, mint and chives/scallions.

Continue to add a little bit of the dipping sauce until you get it to the flavor you want.

Serve over thick homemade noodles or store bought rice noodles. Its so delicious!