Mabo Dofu (麻婆豆腐 or マーボー豆腐) is one of my favourite ways to use tofu! The spicy sauce, meaty flavour and soft texture of the tofu is fantastic. It is super easy to make, perfect for when you need a quick and filling dinner. Mabo Dofu is a Japanese version of a Chinese dish called "Mapo Tofu". The Japanese version is not as spicy and uses Japanese miso paste.

This is a popular homecooked food in Japan. There are many variations depending on family and the area you live. The main ingredients are tofu, ground meat and a spicy sauce.

Above are the ingredients I used this time for my gluten-free Mabo Dofu.

Start by frying the onions in a little oil.

Once the onions start to soften add the ground meat and grated ginger.

This time I used a mixture of ground beef and pork. Feel free to use one or the other. I have tried it with ground turkey and it worked out fine. If you'd like to make it vegetarian and gluten-free then substitute textured vegetable protein for the ground meat. Be careful about the ingredients as some textured vegetable protein has gluten in it. I like to use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free TVP.

I like to use Gu Wang's Bean Paste Sauce in my gluten-free mabo dofu. I think it gives the sauce an umami flavour. Traditional Mabo Dofu sauce uses Doubanjang bean sauce also called Broad Bean Paste. Gu Wang is a type of doubanjang. If you can't find it you can substitute Korean Gochujang or Indonesian Sambal Oelek. It isn't exactly the same but works well. Always check the ingredients to make sure the sauces/pastes have no gluten ingredients. Sometimes you can find gluten-free certified products.

The Japanese word for Doubanjang is Tobanjan (トウバンジャン).

I go shopping in Calgary Alberta. I have found this sauce at the Asian grocery stores there: T&T, A-Mart and H-Mart.

For those of you who are interested here is a closeup of the Gu Wang Bean Paste Sauce ingredients list. In Canada you can trust the labels. If there was any gluten in the ingredients it would have to be listed in plain English. Gluten can't be hidden by law on food products whether they are made in Canada or from abroad.

Mix all the sauce ingredients together. Again check the ingredients lists to make sure there is no gluten. I use Kikkoman gluten-free soy sauce and Lee Kum Kee Panda Gluten-free Oyster Sauce because that is what I can buy in my area. Use your favourite gluten-free products. I like the flavour of white miso (Shiro Miso) or Awase Miso which is a mixture of white and red miso. Always read the ingredients on miso paste. Beware of Mugi Miso - mugi means "barley" in Japanese, so this one is off limits to Celiacs. I try to buy Hikari White Miso Paste which is certified gluten-free, but I can't always find it so I will buy Shirakiku Miso paste too.

Now mix the sauce into the meat mixture. Let it simmer covered for about 5 minutes.

When the mabo dofu is warmed through add the green onions and give it a mix. Keep a few of the green onions aside for a garnish.

Cut the drained tofu into cubes and add to the meat mixture. Gently mix well and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Here is the finished gluten-free Mabo Dofu in the pot. Ready to serve.

Gluten-Free Mabo Dofu (Mabo Tofu)

Ingredients

• 1 block tofu
• 400-500 grams ground beef or mixture of ground beef and pork
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp oil for frying
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/3 cup sake
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp gluten-free black bean sauce
• 1 tbsp miso paste (gluten-free)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (gluten-free)
• 1 1/2 tsp gluten-free soya sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ichimi (red chili powder) or cayenne powder
• 3 tsp hot chili sauce
• 2-3 green onions (spring onions) sliced thinly for garnish

Directions

1. Drain, rinse and pat dry tofu. Set aside for later.
2. Prepare your vegetables. Mince the onion, garlic and ginger. Finely slice the green onions and set aside.
3. In a medium to large pot add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and fry the onions until soft.
4. Add the ground meat, garlic and ginger. Stir and fry until done. If your meat gives off a lot of oil, do drain the oil off after cooking. Or use a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
5. While the meat is cooking, prepare the sauce. Mix the sesame oil, sake, water, ketchup, black bean sauce, miso paste, oyster sauce, gluten-free soya sauce, sugar, ichimi powder and hot chili sauce.
6. Add the sauce to the meat and cook on low heat for about 4-5 minutes.
7. Add the tofu and stir gently. Heat on low for about 5 minutes.
8. Add the green onions. Keep a couple of tablespoons aside for garnish. Give the mixture a stir. Serve in a large bowl for everyone to help themselves or serve in individual bowls. Garnish with the green onions you set aside. Serve with rice.
9. Enjoy! This is great the next day as the flavours get better over time.

As I stated before there are many varaitions of Mabo Dofu. You can add vegetables if you like, some people add cooked cabbage or green peas. I used medium tofu but soft tofu is very nice too. Instead of water sometimes chicken or beef broth is used.

You can up the spice level to your tastes by adding more hot sauce or extra ichimi powder. If you can't find ichimi you can substitute cayenne pepper. I like the less spicy Japanese style, but you could make it closer to the Chinese version by adding a few Sichuan peppercorns called "huajiao" (花椒).

I don't thicken my Mabo Dofu but you could add a slurry of cornstarch (1 teaspoon cornstarch to 1/4 cup water) if you need to thicken the sauce.

How do you make Mabo Dofu?

Note: These are my personal experiences and opinions. Always seek out a medical opinion for medical concerns. Not sponsored. If sponsored I will always say so at the top of the post.