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Vegan Sichuan Mapo Tofu with Edamame & Rice
A properly numbing, savoury mapo tofu made entirely from plants. Soft-firm tofu simmers in a rich chilli-bean sauce built on doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste), fermented black beans and toasted Sichuan pepper, with edamame stirred through to push the protein up to a real meal. Served over steamed jasmine rice.
Serves 4Prep 15 minCook 25 mintofu
Containsgluten · peanut · soy · sesame
Protein 20%Carbs 52%Fat 28%
About 549 kcal a serve — 27 g protein, 72 g carbs, 17 g fat. Each segment is that macro's share of the calories, within about 10%.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Method
Cook the rice
ricePut the rinsed jasmine rice and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then cover, drop to the lowest heat and cook 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes to steam. Fluff before serving.
In the saucepanRice →
12 min + 10 min rest
Warm the tofu
tofuBring a second saucepan of lightly salted water to a gentle simmer. Slide in the tofu cubes and warm through for 2 minutes, then drain gently. This firms the tofu so it holds together in the sauce.
In the saucepanTofu →
2 min
Blanch the edamame
edamameAdd the frozen edamame to the same simmering water for 3 minutes, then drain and set aside.
In the saucepanEdamame →
3 min
Fry the aromatics
sauceHeat the peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Add the doubanjiang, fermented black beans, garlic, ginger and optional chilli. Stir-fry gently for 2–3 minutes until the oil turns red and everything smells fragrant — don't let it burn.
In the wokSauce base →
medium, 2–3 min
Build the sauce
simmerPour in the soy sauce and vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Slide in the tofu and edamame, then simmer gently for 5 minutes, nudging rather than stirring so the tofu stays intact.
In the wokSimmer →
simmer, 5 min
Thicken
thickenStir the cornflour slurry again and pour it in. Cook for 1–2 minutes, gently folding, until the sauce is glossy and coats the tofu.
In the wokThicken →
1–2 min
Finish and serve
finishTurn off the heat. Scatter over the ground Sichuan pepper, spring onions and sesame oil. Serve over the steamed rice.
In the wokFinish →
off heat
Cook's noteDoubanjiang and fermented black beans are already salty — taste before adding extra soy. For a milder version halve the doubanjiang and skip the chilli. Toast whole Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan for a minute, then grind for the best numbing aroma.
Estimated per serve
549 kcal · 27 g protein · 72 g carbs · 17 g fatestimates, within ~10%
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