1
Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes and boil in salted water for 3-4 mins to get rid of any sour taste. set aside.
You might not need to do this if your tofu isn’t a Chinese brand.
2
Mix the sauce ingredients together with around 100 mls of cold water to thin it out.
3
Add the rapeseed oil to a hot pan/wok. Once heated, add the mince meat and cook until browned. Then add the doubanjang and ginger and garlic until it smells fragrant.
4
Add the 13 spice and chill flakes and continue to stir fry for 30 seconds. Then add some water to thin the mixture. Once that has been incorporated add the tofu.
5
Cook the tofu in the mixture ,being careful not to break it up, until a lot of the liquid has evaporated off and the sauce thickens.
The best way to do this in a wok is to move the spatula in an up and down option instead of mixing.
6
Add the sichuan peppercorn oil and stir fry for a few seconds before adding a third of the sauce mixture. Cook this until it’s glossy and thickened before adding the second and third parts in the same way. This ensures every piece of tofu is covered in the sauce.
7
Finally mix in garlic sprout greens or green onions and sprinkle on the sichuan peppercorn powder to taste before serving with rice.
