Ma Po Tofu with Peas
This is my husband’s favorite thing to order in Chinese restaurants. It is a Szechuan dish and so not really available in a lot of the restaurants. The dish is also on the greasy side- like any other that we tend to order in the restaurant. As usual I try to make it at home. It doesn’t taste exactly the same but it tastes good and I know it is healthy.
Usually the dish is made with ground pork and soft tofu with a delicious sauce. I used my usual ground turkey, which is my ‘go to’ ground meat. It is much healthier- I use dark turkey meat so the taste is really good.
I marinated the meat with some tamari and corn starch. The corn starch was to thicken the sauce while cooking the dish. I then prepared a sauce consisting of black bean sauce, chili garlic sauce, ketchup and vinegar. I made a delicious sauce and got the tofu ready. I decided to make the dish a one pot meal and added some peas to it. I thought it was a good addition to the dish and I didn’t have to worry about serving a vegetable on the side.
Try this dish- it is easy, quick and super delicious….
- ½ pound ground turkey
- 3 teaspoons tamari
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
Mix the tamari with the cornstarch. Marinate the turkey meat with the cornstarch mixture for 2 to 3 hours.
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 2 teaspoons black bean sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
Mix the tamari, bean sauce chili paste, ketchup, vinegar and honey in a small bowl. Keep aside.
- 1 pound silken or firm tofu, cut into 1 inch squares
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons water
Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and keep aside.
Heat a wok-like saucepan with the oil. Add the ground turkey and sauté on high heat and separating the meat with the back of the spatula. Cook on high for 4 to 5 minutes till golden brown. Add the tamari sauce and mix well. Add the tofu and frozen peas. Mix well and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to another boil. Check for seasonings and serve with brown rice.
