Mapo Tofu Ramen Recipe: Chinese Mapo Tofu Meets Japanese Ramen!
Ramen is a popular food item in multiple cuisines, such as Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. Today, I am going to cook ramen with Mapo Tofu. The spicy and savory goodness of Mapo Tofu gets better when mixed with ramen noodles. This dish is surprisingly easy to cook and comes out delicious.
I have tasted many different Mapo Tofu ramen recipes and found this to be the closest to the authentic recipe. Let’s make some hot and spicy Mapo Tofu ramen to be your perfect companion when you are hungry.
Table of Contents
Mapo Tofu Ramen Recipe Overview
It’s always better to have an overall idea about how long the dish will take to cook. I included the key factors, such as prep time, cooking time, calories, etc., in the following chart.
| Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 35 minutes | |||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories |
| 2 persons | 15 minutes | 20 minutes | 183 kcal |
Ingredients Needed for Mapo Tofu Ramen Recipe
Chili bean paste or Doubanjiang is one of the key ingredients for Mapo Tofu ramen. Besides, you will need some other seasonings to get the flavor right. I used the following ingredients for this dish.
Main Ingredients for the Recipe
- Tofu: About 150g of firm tofu. I chose firm tofu because cutting and cooking soft tofu might be a bit difficult for you.
- Beef: 100g of minced beef. It is better to have a fat content of about 20%.
- Green Onion: About half a cup of green onion. The skin and core should be cut separately.
- Bean Paste: Use about 2 tbsp of bean paste.
- Garlic: 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
- Cornstarch: About 1 tbsp of cornstarch to thicken the sauce
- Oil: 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- Ramen: I am using about 110g of raw Japanese ramen. You can use any ramen of your choice.
Sauces and Seasonings for the Recipe
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Sugar: 1 tsp
- Light Soy Sauce: 1 tbsp
- Oyster Sauce: 1 tbsp
- Sichuan Pepper: 1 tsp of Sichuan pepper powder, freshly ground
- Red Chili Powder: About 1/2 tsp of red chili powder or according to your preference
Mapo Tofu Ramen Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
Preparing the ingredients is one of my favorite parts of the cooking process. I included a detailed description of each step to make the process easier for you. Let’s begin.
Step 1: Cut the Tofu and Blanch It
The size of the tofu cubes should be smaller than the regular Mapo Tofu recipe. Cut the tofu block into 1-inch cubes so that they are easy to eat with ramen.
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Bring water to a boil in a pot and add some salt to the water. Then, blanch the tofu cubes in boiling water for about two minutes. Blanching will remove the beany smell from the tofu. Take the tofu out and let it cool down.
Step 2: Prepare the Aromatics
Peel the garlic cloves and mince them. Separate the skin of the green onion from the core. Cut the core into cubes. Then, fold the skin multiple times and slice it into shreds.
Step 3: Fry the Minced Beef
Place a frying pan over medium heat and add about 1 tbsp of oil. Throw the minced beef onto the pan and stir vigorously to spread the beef. The beef will release some moisture and you need to fry the beef until no moisture is remaining.
Step 4: Add the Bean Paste, Seasonings, and Tofu
Once the beef is almost cooked, you can add the bean paste. Two types of bean paste are commonly used, the red oil bean paste and the traditional Pixian County bean paste. I will use the traditional one.
While red oil bean paste is brewed for a few months, Pixian County bean paste is brewed for several years. So, the concentration of flavor substances is higher in this paste. As this bean paste is dry, you need to chop it with a knife before cooking.
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Place a plastic wrap on the chopping board while chopping the bean paste. It will protect the chopping board.
Fry the bean paste for some time to remove its raw smell. Add all the seasonings one after another. Pour the light soy sauce and oyster sauce first. Then, put the sugar to balance the flavor.
Remember, you need to use the salt carefully. Both bean paste and light soy sauce have salt in them. You can check the sauce a bit to adjust the salt. Finally, add the blanched tofu and cook everything for a few more minutes.
Step 5: Finish the Sauce with Slurry and Green Onions
Mix the cornstarch with water. The ratio of cornstarch and water should be 1:5. You shouldn’t make the sauce too thick as it will be eaten with the ramen. Pour the slurry over the sauce and sprinkle some shredded green onions on top. The sauce will be ready in about one minute.
Step 6: Cook the Ramen Noodles
Boil water in another pot. Dump the ramen into the boiling water and cook it for about one and a half minutes. Then, quickly strain the ramen and dip it into cold water.
Step 7: Assemble the Dish
Take the cooked ramen in a serving bowl. Pour the Mapo Tofu with the sauce on top of the ramen. Sprinkle some Sichuan pepper powder and chopped green onions.
Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a large spoon or ladle. Put 1/2 tsp of chili powder in the oil and heat it a bit. Then, pour the chili-infused oil over the ramen.
Nutrition Facts of Mapo Tofu Ramen Recipe
Mapo Tofu ramen has a great combination of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals. I added the estimated nutritional value of this dish below.
- Total Carbohydrates: 18g
- Protein: 7g
- Total Fat: 12.7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 7g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Total Sugar: 2g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
- Sodium: 911mg
- Potassium: 291mg
- Calcium: 111mg
- Iron: 2.2mg
- Vitamin D: 0.3IU
Mapo Tofu Ramen Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- The size of the tofu cubes should be smaller than the regular Mapo Tofu recipe. Cut the tofu block into 1-inch cubes so that they are easy to eat with ramen.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot and add some salt to the water. Then, blanch the tofu cubes in boiling water for about two minutes. Blanching will remove the beany smell from the tofu. Take the tofu out and let it cool down.
- Peel the garlic cloves and mince them. Separate the skin of the green onion from the core. Cut the core into cubes. Then, fold the skin multiple times and slice it into shreds.
- Place a frying pan over medium heat and add about 1 tbsp of oil. Throw the minced beef onto the pan and stir vigorously to spread the beef. The beef will release some moisture and you need to fry the beef until no moisture is remaining.
- Once the beef is almost cooked, you can add the bean paste. Two types of bean paste are commonly used, the red oil bean paste and the traditional Pixian County bean paste. I will use the traditional one.
- While red oil bean paste is brewed for a few months, Pixian County bean paste is brewed for several years. So, the concentration of flavor substances is higher in this paste. As this bean paste is dry, you need to chop it with a knife before cooking.
- Place a plastic wrap on the chopping board while chopping the bean paste. It will protect the chopping board.
- Fry the bean paste for some time to remove its raw smell. Add all the seasonings one after another. Pour the light soy sauce and oyster sauce first. Then, put the sugar to balance the flavor.
- Remember, you need to use the salt carefully. Both bean paste and light soy sauce have salt in them. You can check the sauce a bit to adjust the salt. Finally, add the blanched tofu and cook everything for a few more minutes.
- Mix the cornstarch with water. The ratio of cornstarch and water should be 1:5. You shouldn’t make the sauce too thick as it will be eaten with the ramen. Pour the slurry over the sauce and sprinkle some shredded green onions on top. The sauce will be ready in about one minute.
- Boil water in another pot. Dump the ramen into the boiling water and cook it for about one and a half minutes. Then, quickly strain the ramen and dip it into cold water.
- Step 7: Assemble the Dish
- Take the cooked ramen in a serving bowl. Pour the Mapo Tofu with the sauce on top of the ramen. Sprinkle some Sichuan pepper powder and chopped green onions.
- Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a large spoon or ladle. Put 1/2 tsp of chili powder in the oil and heat it a bit. Then, pour the chili-infused oil over the ramen.
FAQs
The answers to some commonly asked questions about Mapo Tofu ramen will enlighten you more. Check them out.
How do you incorporate Mapo Tofu flavors into ramen broth?
You should keep the Mapo Tofu sauce a bit thinner than usual. It will help you incorporate the Mapo Tofu flavors into the ramen broth better.
Can I use store-bought ramen noodles for Mapo Tofu ramen?
Why not! I have used store-bought ramen noodles in this recipe. If you don’t want the hassle of making ramen noodles on your own, you can use store-bought noodles as well.
What vegetables complement Mapo Tofu in ramen toppings?
Bok choy goes well with Mapo Tofu ramen. You can also add other vegetables, such as cucumber, carrot, sweet corn, etc. Even though eggs aren’t vegetables, soft-boiled eggs are also excellent as toppings.
Is there a recommended type of tofu for Mapo Tofu ramen?
Yes. Using firm tofu is the best choice when you are cooking ramen. Firm tofu won’t easily break down, so you can handle it easily. The dense texture of firm tofu also pairs well with ramen broth.
Can I eat Mapo Tofu ramen every day?
You can, but I won’t recommend it. Mapo Tofu ramen is a healthy and balanced dish but it contains a lot of sodium. Eating so much sodium daily can be harmful to your health.
Conclusion
Ramen is a great option when it comes to filling your cravings quickly. You can elevate the dish by adding Mapo Tofu to the ramen. When the spicy Mapo Tofu is added to ramen, the silky mouthfeel and the burst of flavor are something to die for.
So, why don’t you make this Mapo Tofu ramen recipe yourself and enjoy the culinary collaboration between China and Japan? I tried to keep the ingredients simple so that you can cook them easily. If you are brave enough, add some more seasonings or vegetables and make the dish more vibrant.
