Sichuan's numbing-hot masterpiece: silken tofu in a fiery bean-paste sauce with the electric buzz of Sichuan peppercorns. Home-adapted, spirit intact.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
3
Before you start
Mise en place
Equipment
Large skillet
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Prep checklist
Tofu — soft, in 2 cm cubes, salted-water soaked
Ground Pork — optional — mushrooms for vegan
Doenjang — stand-in for doubanjiang, + 1 tsp gochugaru
Sichuan Peppercorns — toasted, ground
4 steps
Method
1
Soak the tofu cubes in hot salted water 10 minutes — it seasons and firms them against breaking.
10 min — timer available in cooking mode
2
Fry the pork crisp in chili oil; add the bean paste, gochugaru, garlic, and ginger, frying until the oil stains red, 2 minutes.
5 min — timer available in cooking mode
3
Stock in; slide in the tofu and simmer 5 minutes, shaking (never stirring) the pan. Thicken with the slurry.
6 min — timer available in cooking mode
Why this works
Push tofu with the back of the spoon; stirring breaks it to scramble.
4
Ground Sichuan pepper and scallions over. Serve on rice, tingling.
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Freezing
Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently: covered in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes, or in a pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock. The microwave works at 50% power in short bursts — full blast toughens proteins.
Make ahead
Most braises and sauces improve overnight. Sear-and-serve dishes: do every step up to the final cook, then finish fresh.
Wine pairing
Match the weight of the dish — ask the AI Chef for a specific bottle.
Beer pairing
Match intensity: lagers for delicate dishes, amber ales for roasted flavors, stouts for the rich and braised.