What People Love About This Recipe
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"Perfect ma la flavor"
Spicy and numbing sensation
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"Silky soft tofu"
Melts in your mouth
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"Amazing over rice"
The sauce is everything
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"Authentic Szechuan taste"
Just like in Chengdu
Recipe Overview
This classic Szechuan dish features silky soft tofu in a fiery, numbing sauce made with doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste), Szechuan peppercorns, and savory mushrooms. The perfect balance of ma (numbing) and la (spicy).
Pro Tips from the Comments
- Use silken tofu: "Silken or soft tofu is essential - firm won't give the right texture" - @mapotofufan
- Fry the doubanjiang: "Fry the chili bean paste until the oil turns red for deeper flavor" - @szechuanchef
- Gentle stirring: "Stir gently to keep the tofu cubes intact" - @tofutips
Community Reviews & Tips
734 commentsShare Your Experience
As someone from Sichuan, this recipe is impressively authentic! The mushroom crumble adds great umami that you'd usually get from ground pork. I use Pixian doubanjiang and extra Szechuan peppercorns. This has become my comfort food!
Holy moly this is SPICY (in the best way)! The numbing sensation from the Szechuan peppercorns is incredible. I made a big batch and ate it over rice all week. Pro tip: drizzle extra chili oil on top!
Delicious! I toned down the spice for my family by using less doubanjiang. Found the chili bean paste at my local Asian grocery. The silken tofu texture is perfect - so creamy!