Wobbling cubes of silken tofu in a deep red, numbing-hot sauce with finely chopped shiitake standing in for the traditional mince. Vegan, on the table in half an hour.
Prep
15 mins
Cook
20 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£1.33
Difficulty
medium
Mushrooms chopped to the size of mince give the same savoury chew as pork without the meat. The tofu is warmed through in salted water first so it holds its shape instead of collapsing into the sauce.
Bring a pan of lightly salted water to a bare simmer, slide in the tofu cubes and leave them for 5 minutes off the boil. Drain very carefully.
This firms the outside of each cube just enough to survive being stirred.
Cook the rice.
Heat the oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat and fry the chopped shiitake for 6-8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the moisture has gone and they are browned and crumbly.
Add the garlic, ginger and black beans if using, and stir for 45 seconds. Add the chilli bean sauce and fry for a further minute until the oil runs red.
Pour in the stock and tamari and simmer for 3 minutes. Slide in the tofu and shake the pan gently rather than stirring, so the cubes stay whole.
Stir the cornflour slurry and add it in two goes, shaking the pan between each, until the sauce is thick enough to hold the tofu in place.
Scatter over the ground Sichuan pepper and spring onions and serve over rice while it is still bubbling.
Adding the Sichuan pepper at the end keeps its citrus-numbing character, which cooking destroys.