Nearly everyone has heard of
Ma Po Tofu sometime in his
or her life. Its one of the
most well loved and well-known
dishes of Szechuan cuisine.
This dish is named after a
smallpox-scarred wife of a
Qing dynasty restaurant owner.
She cooked and served this
dish to the laborers.

I have tried imitations of this
dish dozens of times in different Chinese restaurants, and none
even came close. The main traits of this dish are the Ma and the
La or spiciness and numbness.

The spiciness and the numbness is what this dish renowned for.
Yet, all the imitations I tried were neither spicy nor tongue
numbing.

Aside from the chili and peppercorns used during cooking, more
chili oil and grounded peppercorn are spread on top once the
cooking is finished.

The original dish is prepared with ground beef. I will show you
how to make right, authentic vegetarian Ma Po Tofu using
steamed dough. Youll be laughing the next time you try this dish
in a Chinese restaurant.