Deniz loves Mapo Tofu, so we needed to learn to make a vegetarian version. Below is our recipe, inspired by the recipe in Wei Chuan’s Chinese Cuisine Cookbook, and modified for our tastes and vegetarian diet.
Ingredients:
- 4 cubes soft tofu, drained and carefully sliced into half-inch cubes
- 6 Morningstar Original Vegetarian Sausage Patties
- 3 scallions, coarsely chopped
Wet Spices:
- 1 T garlic, minced
- 3 scallions, coarsely chopped
- 1 T ginger, minced
- 2 T plus 1 t hot bean paste (là dòu bàn jiàng, 辣豆瓣酱)
Sauce:
- 2 C broth (1 Knorr vegetarian bouillon dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water)
- 2 T rice wine
- 1 t MSG
- 1 t salt
- 3 T soy sauce
Thickener:
- 2 T corn starch
- 4 T water
- 1/2 t Szechuan pepper, ground
Instructions:
Toast the veggie sausage patties in the oven for 15 minutes on 400°F. Pulse the toasted patties a food processor (or chop manually) to a ground beef consistency.
Prepare the ingredients as described in the ingredients list. Combine the Wet Spices ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the Sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the Thickener ingredients in a small bowl.
Heat an extra large saute pan with 6 T of oil on medium-high heat. Stir-fry the Wet Spices for 1 minute. Add the sliced tofu and the Sauce, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the Thickener, and stir to combine well and continue cooking until the sauce is evenly thickened. Stir in the ground veggie patties. Add the chopped scallions to the top as garnish.
