Ma Po Tofu (vegan) 麻婆豆腐（純素）

Ingredients: (serves 4)

• 3 cakes of firm tofu
• 30g dried black fungus, soaked
• 3 tbs vegetable oil
• 2-3 scallions, chopped
• 2 tbs black bean sauce
• 1 tsp chilli bean paste
• 2 tsps rice wine
• 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tb water

• ½ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns

• A few drops sesame oil

• Finely shredded scallion for garnish

Method:

• Cut the tofu into ½-inch cubes.  Blanch the cubes in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, remove, and drain.  Rinse the black fungus, drain well, and cut off and discard the hard roots.  Cut the fungus into small pieces.

• Heat the oil in a preheated wok, add the fungus and scallions, and stir-fry for 1 minute.  Add the tofu, black bean sauce, chilli bean paste, and rice wine, and mix well.

• Add 3-4 tbs water and stir-braise for 3-4 minutes, then add the cornstarch paste and stir until the gravy thickens. 

• Serve hot, sprinkled with the Sichuan peppercorns and sesame oil, and garnished with scallion.

      Special touches:

• For a non-vegetarian version, add a small amount of coarsely chopped beef or pork with the fungus and scallions in Step 2.

Recipe Provider

Mr Deh-ta Hsiung

Story:

Ma stands for "mazi" (Pinyin: mázi Traditional Chinese 麻子) which means a person disfigured by pockmarks.  Po (Chinese 婆) translates as "old woman".  Hence, Ma Po is an old woman whose face is pockmarked.  It is thus sometimes translated as "Pockmarked-Face Lady's Tofu".  Legend says that the pock-marked old woman (má pó) was a widow who lived in the Chinese city of Chengdu.  Due to her condition, her home was on the outskirts of the city.  By coincidence, it was near a road where traders often passed.  Although the rich merchants could afford to stay in the numerous inns of the prosperous city while waiting for their goods to sell, poor farmers would stay in cheaper inns scattered along the sides of roads on the outskirts of the ancient city.  Another less widely accepted explanation stems from an alternate definition of 麻, meaning "numb" - the Szechuan peppercorns used in the dish numb the diner's mouth.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Mapo_doufu )

原料： （四人份）

• 硬豆腐 3 塊

• 水發黑木耳 30 克

• 植物油 3 湯匙

• 小蔥 2-3 棵（切碎）

• 磨豉醬 2 湯匙

• 辣豆瓣醬 1 茶匙

• 米酒 2 茶匙

• 生粉 2 茶匙（與 1 湯匙水混合）

• 花椒粉 ½ 茶匙

• 麻油 數滴

• 小蔥絲 少許（裝飾用）

做法：

• 將豆腐切成 ½ 英寸見方的小塊，用開水灼 2-3 分鐘後瀝幹水分。沖洗並瀝幹黑木耳後，去除硬根，切成小塊。

• 把鑊燒熱後放油，倒入木耳與蔥花炒 1 分鐘。加豆腐、磨豉醬、辣豆瓣醬和米酒並攪勻。

• 放 3-4 湯匙水，半煎煮 3-4 分鐘後放芡漿，攪拌至汁水變稠。盛起，灑上花椒粉與麻油，飾以蔥絲，趁熱享用。

      特殊風味：

• 非素食者可在第二步放木耳和蔥花時，加入少量粗粗切碎的牛肉或豬肉。

菜譜提供者

熊德達先生

故事：

關於麻婆豆腐的起源，清人周詢所著《芙蓉話舊錄》的記載最為詳盡：“ （成都）北門外有陳麻婆者，善治豆腐，連調和物料及烹飪工資一併加入豆腐價內，每碗售錢八文，兼售酒飯，若須加豬、牛肉，則或食客自攜以往，或代客往割，均可。其牌號人多不知，但言陳麻婆，則無不知者。其地距城四、五里，往食者均不憚遠。”

此菜大約在清同治初年（1874年以後），由成都市北郊萬福橋一家名為 “陳興盛飯鋪” 的小飯店老闆娘陳劉氏所創。因為陳劉氏臉上有麻點，人稱陳麻婆，她發明的燒豆腐就被稱為 “陳麻婆豆腐” 。後來因為這道菜大受歡迎，食客多不知其原始店名，而稱之為 “陳麻婆豆腐店” 。該店鋪與包席菜館 “正興園” 、“鐘湯圓” 等店家齊名。根據文獻記載，早期的麻婆豆腐用料特色是用菜油和黃牛肉。烹飪手法是先在鍋中將一大勺菜油煎熟，然後放一大把辣椒末，接著下牛肉，煮到干酥爛時再下豆豉。再來放入豆腐，稍微加水並鏟幾下調勻，最後蓋上鍋蓋用小火將湯汁收乾，起鍋前再灑上花椒末。

由於陳興盛飯舖是鄉間小舖，早期店內並未準備牛肉和菜油等食材，食客必須自行先到肉舖割肉、到油鋪打油，然後將食材交給飯舖的師傅來料理。稍後店鋪生意興旺，才開始由伙計代客到街上打油買肉。清代《錦城竹枝詞百詠》中收錄有一首描述本菜的詩：“麻婆豆腐尚傳名，豆腐烘來味最精。萬福橋邊簾影動，合沽春酒醉先生。”

文化大革命時期，由於 “破四舊” 而一度被改名 “麻辣豆腐” 。

( http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%BA%BB%E5%A9%86%E8%B1%86%E8%85%90 )