Mapo Tofu Masterclass | Sheldo's Kitchen

A love letter to Mapo Tofu, my actual favourite food ever. This spicy tofu stew from Sichuan is one of Chinese cuisine's most beloved dishes for good reason. It's comforting, bold, hearty, and rich. Today, we're making two versions. First, the authentic "restaurant" version that features heavy seasoning and a ton of oil; absolutely delicious but not suited for home cooking. Finally, I'll show you how to make it Sheldo-style, my own version that's adapted for every day cooking, what I make on a weekly basis.

Restaurant-style
½ cup (110g) rapeseed oil
85g (3 oz) fatty beef, hand minced
2 Tbsp (40g) Pixian chili bean paste
2 tsp (8g) fermented black beans
2 cloves (8g) garlic
1 Tbsp (7g) Sichuanese chili flake
⅔ cup (160mL) chicken stock
1 lb (454g) medium-firm soft tofu
1½ tsp potato starch + 1 Tbsp water
3 scallions
1½ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn, or to taste
¼ tsp sugar

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Sheldo-style (1 lb tofu)
2 Tbsp (28g) neutral oil
½ lb (227g) regular ground beef
1 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp (40g) Pixian chili bean paste, minced
2 cloves (8g) garlic, minced
1½ tsp (4g) chili flake
1 cup (240mL) water
1 tsp chicken powder
1 lb (454g) medium-firm soft tofu, cut into 3/4” cubes
1 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water
1 tsp (7g) ketchup
1½ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn, or to taste (with more for garnish)
3 scallions, cut into 1” segments

Sheldo-style (700g tofu)
3 Tbsp (42g) neutral oil
¾ lb (340g) regular ground beef
1½ tsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp (60g) Pixian chili bean paste, minced
3 cloves (12g) garlic, minced
2¼ tsp (6g) chili flake
1½ cups (360mL) water
1½ tsp chicken powder
700g (~1½ lb) medium-firm soft tofu, cut into 3/4” cubes
1½ Tbsp cornstarch + 3 Tbsp water
1½ tsp (11g) ketchup
2¼ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn, or to taste (with more for garnish)
4–5 scallions

Sheldo-style Instructions
1. Brown beef: Heat oil in pan over medium until shimmering. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spatula. Add soy sauce and sautée until beef is deeply browned and crispy, about 5 minutes.
2. Add aromatics: Lower heat to medium-low. Add chili bean paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until bean paste is toasted and oil has turned red, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and chili flake. Cook for 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
3. Cook tofu: Raise heat to medium. Add water and chicken powder. Bring to a simmer, then add tofu. Lower heat to medium-low. From this point on, avoid stirring vigorously. Use back to spatula to gently push tofu to avoid breaking. Simmer 3-5 minutes.
4. Thicken sauce: Raise heat to medium. Stir cornstarch slurry before using. Slowly add slurry in separate additions, stirring and cooking for 30s between each to allow for thickening. Stop when sauce reaches a “bolognese ragu” texture and clings to tofu.
5. Finishing touches: Turn off heat. Add ketchup, ground Sichuan peppercorn, and scallions. Stir to combine, letting residual heat wilt scallions. Serve in a shallow bowl and finish with extra sprinkling of Sichuan peppercorn. Enjoy with hot rice.

00:00 Intro
01:11 Core ingredients & flavour profile
01:34 Sichuan peppercorn
02:06 Chili bean paste
03:20 Chili bean paste substitutes
03:47 Restaurant-style ingredient prep
06:29 Restaurant-style cooking
15:15 Restaurant-style serving & tasting
18:08 Sheldo-style cooking
29:58 Sheldo-style serving & tasting
32:38 Outro