#Ma po tofu full
Plus, I’m on the fence about ground meat in general since it can be full of bacteria that can cause severe illnesses. The vegan version on the other hand uses mushrooms, lots of yummy, vitamin packed mushrooms that are finely chopped and cooked until tender. Ground meat can sometimes be very oily and contain crunchy bits of hard fat or bone that can ruin the experience of a good meal. I’ve made it with and without meat and ordered it both ways as well and guess what – vegan mapo tofu wins on every level! Now before you shake your head or roll your eyes at me, let me tell you exactly why I prefer my mapo meatless.įirst, let’s talk about the texture of vegan vs regular mapo tofu. There is something seriously addictive about eating silky tofu cubes coated in a fiery red hot sauce that’s begging to be poured on virgin white rice. It’s also my go to dish whenever we order dinner from our favorite Szechuan spot or eat out in Chinatown. I’m a mapo tofu super fan – I’ve had it in Taiwan, China, Singapore, Japan and make it at home regularly. I’ve seen it pop up on lots of menus in NYC and it’s easy to see why – it’s seriously delicious! What you may find surprising though is that the vegetarian mapo tofu version has slowly been gaining popularity.
You’re probably thinking “what the heck? Isn’t mapo tofu made with ground meat?”, to which I will subliminally reply “yes, you are right about that.” Plus, they crank the level of umami up to 11! The Ultimate Vegan Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) Recipe Once you make this mapo tofu at home you’ll never order it again! Mushrooms make this vegan mapo tofu recipe tastier and healthier than the ground meat version.