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Tag: silken tofu

Ma Po Tofu with Peas

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.

MaPo Tofu- Silken Tofu Cooked with Ground Turkey

Mapo Tofu My husband introduced this Chinese dish to me. I had never heard of it. He loves tofu- in any form. Before meeting him, I wasn’t much into tofu- not sure why but I just wasn’t interested.

We usually have this szechuan dish in restaurants. I like it a lot- definitely not a combination that comes to mind easily. I never think of pairing two proteins together. In this dish it works really well.

I was thinking of what to make and Chinese food came to mind. I typically make a broccoli and chicken stir fry but I wanted to make something different and so this dish came to mind. I went shopping for some chili paste, etc. While I was researching the dish- most of the recipes had lots of heat in them. I can’t really do that since neither my husband nor my daughter eat very spicy dishes. I still wanted to have great flavor so I decided on a black bean sauce and a chili paste I picked up in Whole Foods. I prefer tamari to soy sauce- it is more concentrated and has more flavor. The sauce is quite simple to make and so is the dish.

I served roasted broccoli and brown rice with it. My daughter looked at the dish and wasn’t very happy. I have to say- it doesn’t look very appetizing but it is delicious. She thought so too once she tasted it. I keep telling her not to judge a book by it’s cover but somehow it doesn’t register… Anyway, I would highly recommend MaPo Tofu- good for you and easy to make.

  • 1 block silken tofu, drained
  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • ½ to ¾ pound ground turkey (dark meat)
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 4 green onions, whites and greens separated

Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 tablespoon black bean sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili bean paste
  • 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce

Mix well and keep aside.

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch

Add the cornstarch to the chicken broth and mix well.

Heat a wok like pan with the olive oil. Add the ground meat and separate it with a wooden spoon and sauté until crispy and golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and white part of the green onion. Saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tamari sauce and sauté for a minute. Add the silken tofu and break it into small pieces with the spoon. Add the cornstarch mixed with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and check for seasonings. Garnish with the green parts of the green onions. Serve with roasted broccoli.