Mapo Tofu Ramen (Mabo Ramen)

This post was first published on June 16, 2011 but was updated for my second cookbook, Red Hot Kitchen. It is my favorite spicy ramen and much easier to make than other ramen which requires hours of broth-making. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

A couple of years ago, while in Japan for the first time, I took a day trip from Tokyo to Yokohama, which was only about half an hour away by train. I spent a few hours at the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, which is pretty much a mini indoor theme park devoted to Japan's obsession with ramen. The basement had a collection of ramen houses highlighting specialties from regions around the country, and it was extremely hard limiting myself to just one shop and one bowl of ramen for lunch.

But the main reason I decided to devote a whole day to Yokohama on my short visit, other than the museum, was because of the largest Chinatown in Japan. A Chinatown which, incidentally, also felt like a theme park. It was, for starters, the cleanest Chinatown I had ever seen. The immaculate streets were lined with restaurants showcasing the best of Chinese plastic foods in outdoor display cases. On almost every corner, there were three- or four-story shops with pagoda-like awnings selling Chinese knick-knacks, and at least a couple of stores selling clothes and home decorations from craftspeople in Mexico, Peru, Cambodia, etc.

There were a few alleyways that brought to mind Beijing's hutongs (but much cleaner). It was in one of these alleys that I found another ramen shop. Heck, there was not reason I couldn't have two large bowls of ramen in a day. You only live once.

The special of the day, read the placard on the bar, was the mapo tofu ramen. Well, any dish that combined my favorite Japanese dish and one of my favorite Chinese dishes was a must. It arrived not long after ordering, bright red and still bubbling. And goodness, what a thick and spicy sauce! The cooks certainly maintained the textural integrity of Sichuan mapo tofu, and kept it fiery enough (if light of the Sichuan peppercorn) to warrant gulping down two Sapporos.

The experience reminded me of trying jajangmyeon in Seoul; Korea had taken a Chinese dish of noodles in black bean paste, thickened the sauce, minimized the vegetables, and turned it into a national obsession that's served at both fast food joints and classier establishments. Mapo tofu ramen isn't quite a national obsession in Japan, but it is a hybrid dish that has seemingly become a huge part of its noodle culture.

So here's my version, which involved slightly tweaking my mapo tofu recipe to accommodate the addition of chicken broth and noodles. It's not quite as thick as the version I had in Yokohama, but you can certainly change that by doubling or tripling the cornstarch-mixed-with-water amount. And don't fret about not having springy house-made ramen; all you need is the instant ramen that's already sitting in your cupboards.

SOME FAVORITE INGREDIENTS AND EQUIPMENT TO USE FOR THIS RECIPE:

• Sichuan pepper

• Fermented black beans, or these

• Soy sauce

• Ramen bowls, or these

ramen, Japanese, Sichuan, Chinese, pork, mapo tofu, noodles

recipes

Japanese

Yield: 2

Author: Diana Kuan

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Mapo Tofu Ramen (Mabo Ramen)

Mapo tofu ramen is a hybrid dish that has become a big part of Japan’s ramen culture. It's also much easier to make that other forms of ramen.

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb ground pork or beef
• 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons fermented black beans
• 2 tablespoons Sichuan chili oil
• 2 tablespoons doubanjiang (Chinese chili bean sauce) or gochujang
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 2 scallions, chopped, white and green parts kept separate
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 block soft or medium-firm tofu (about 1/2 pound), drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Salt
• 8 ounces fresh ramen, or two 3-ounce packages instant ramen

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combined the pork and Chinese rice wine and break it apart as much as possible with a large spoon. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, mash the fermented black beans with the back of a spoon for 20 seconds. Stir in the Sichuan chili oil, dougbanjiang, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, Sichuan pepper, and cayenne. Set aside the black bean mixture.
3. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the oil and swirl to coat the base. Add the pork and stir-fry for 2 minutes until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a spatula. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry briefly until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the black bean mixture and chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, the reduce to a simmer. Add the tofu cubes. Allow the broth to simmer and thicken for about 5 minutes.
5. While the broth is simmering, cook the ramen according to package instructions. Divide the ramen into individual bowls.
6. Season the mapo tofu broth with more salt if needed. Ladle the broth over the ramen and garnish with scallion greens.

Notes:

Adapted from my cookbook Red Hot Kitchen (Avery, 2019)

Nutrition Facts

Calories

1048.46

Fat (grams)

64.13

Sat. Fat (grams)

16.25

Carbs (grams)

51.99

Fiber (grams)

5.83

Net carbs

46.16

Sugar (grams)

10.48

Protein (grams)

63.45

Sodium (milligrams)

1558.88

Cholesterol (grams)

144.48

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https://cinnamonsociety.com/recipes/mapo-tofu-ramen

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