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Mad_Max posted...

Share your favorite vegan recipes :)

Vegetarian Mapo Tofu
Serves 4

Ingredients:

12 to 14 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoon fermented black beans (or substitute black bean sauce)
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced at an angle, white and green parts separated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 block soft or medium-firm tofu (about 1 pound), drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
Sauce:

2 tablespoons chili bean paste
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
Instructions

Soak the shiitake mushrooms in the 1 cup of warm water for 15 to 20 minutes, until softened. Drain the shiitakes and squeeze out the excess water into the bowl. Keep the mushroom-flavored water, as you will need it for the sauce in the next step. Discard the stems of the mushrooms and finely chop the caps.

Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the mushroom-flavored water, chili bean paste, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and Sichuan pepper. Set aside.
Rinse the black beans to remove any grit and mash them with the back of a spoon.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the base. Add the minced mushrooms and mashed black beans and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the mushrooms are crispy and the black beans are aromatic and a bit crispy as well. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in the sauce and bring the liquid to a boil, the reduce to a simmer. The liquid should now have a nice red color. Gently add the tofu cubes, being careful to not move them around too much or else they will break up. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes so the tofu can cook and absorb the the sauce.

Carefully push the tofu to the sides and create a small well in the middle. Stir in the cornstarch mixture in the center. Allow the liquid to simmer for another minute, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a deep plate or wide bowl, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve hot.
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