Ma po tofu is amazing in a jaffle, the silken tofu making the filling almost like custard. For a vegetarian version, use 200gm finely chopped Swiss brown mushroom in place of the pork.
Ma po tofu jaffles
You know ma po tofu, but are you familiar with the joys of a jaffle stuffed with the Sichuan staple?
- 25 mins preparation
- 30 mins cooking
- Serves 6
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Ingredients
- Softened butter, for spreading
- 12 slices white bread
Ma po tofu
- 60 ml (¼ cup) Shaoxing wine
- 1½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp doubanjiang (see note)
- 2 birdseye chillies, finely chopped
- 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 500 gm minced pork
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 10 gm (2cm piece) ginger, finely chopped
- 2½ tsp crushed Sichuan pepper
- 1 spring onion, white part only, thinly sliced
- 60 ml (¼ cup) chicken stock
- 2 tbsp chilli sauce (we used Lao Gan Ma brand chilli crisp sauce)
- 500 gm silken tofu, cut into 3cm pieces
- ½ tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tsp water
Method
- 1For ma po tofu, combine Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, doubanjiang and chillies in a bowl. Heat oil in a wok over high heat, add pork, garlic and ginger and stir-fry until starting to brown (1-2 minutes). Add Sichuan pepper and stir to combine, then stir in Shaoxing wine mixture, spring onion, stock and chilli sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is cooked through (8-10 minutes). Add tofu and cornflour mixture and stir gently until sauce is thickened slightly and tofu is warmed through and coated (1-2 minutes). Cool briefly.
- 2Heat a jaffle maker. Butter bread and place half, butter-side down, on a sheet of baking paper. Cover with ma po tofu, spreading a little thicker in the centre and leaving a 5mm border, then sandwich with remaining bread, butter-side up. Toast in batches in jaffle maker until golden brown (3-5 minutes).
Notes
Doubanjiang, a hot chilli broad bean paste, is available from Asian grocers.