Mapo Tofu with Ramps

An already incredible dish made even better by the addition of ramps.

Updated April 17, 2023

Why It Works

The stir-fried ramps lend the oil a deep, aromatic, onion-y flavor which subsequently gets carried throughout the whole dish.

I've never hidden my love for mapo tofu, the Sichuan dish of soft silken tofu flavored with beef and mouth-numbing, citrusy Sichuan peppercorns. Hot in more ways than one, comforting and delectably spicy, I love the way the smooth, silken tofu slips down your throat in its slick of hot roasted chili oil, the texture livened up by tiny bits of ground beef with the heady aroma of fermented broad beans, garlic, ginger, and chili paste. When prepared right, it should arrive at the table nearly bubbling hot with a crimson red, lava-like appearance.

Mapo dofu is hardly what you'd call seasonal fare. Indeed, one of the things I like most about it is that it requires barely any fresh ingredients whatsoever. Based mostly on dried spices, preserved condiments, tofu (which I always have in the fridge), and just the tiniest bit of meat, it's a dish that I can throw together any time of year. It's equally comforting on a cold winter afternoon as it is on a hot summer's night when I don't feel like doing anything beyond firing up the wok for the five minutes it takes to make.

But it doesn't have to be a season-less dish. The past few years I've taken to adapting it to the spring by adding in a few big handfuls of sliced ramps, the ephemeral wild spring onions that show up by the bushel at farmers' markets (or if you're lucky, a sister's backyard*).

*Thanks Aya.

The ramps being stir-fried into the ground meat inside of a wok. — Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

They make a great substitute for the garlic, though I tend to go overboard and add a big bunch of them to the wok. The wilt down fast and look like they're going to be insubstantial, but ramps pack a lot of flavor and give it up willingly to their compatriots in the pot. The stir-fried ramps lend the oil (which you've already steeped with Sichuan peppercorns) a deep, aromatic, onion-y flavor which subsequently gets carried throughout the whole dish.

Now I know how food math works and that most of the time adding two things you like together doesn't give you something you like even more (think: Sour Patch Kids and raw hamachi), but this is a case where there truly is some good synergy at work. Ramps almost belong in mapo dofu. The two buttress each other, producing a dish that, while it may not be the greatest dish in the world, certainly belongs on the same album.

April 2012

Recipe Details

Mapo Tofu with Ramps Recipe

Active 15 mins

Total 15 mins

Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns, divided (see note)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water
1 1/2 pounds medium to firm silken tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 pound ground beef
8 whole ramps, finely sliced, whites and greens reserved separately
1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated on a microplane grater
2 tablespoons fermented chili bean paste (see note)
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup roasted chile oil (see note)
1/4 cup finely sliced scallion greens

Directions

Heat half of Sichuan peppercorns in a large wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Transfer to a mortar and pestle. Pound until finely ground and set aside.
Add remaining Sichuan peppercorns and vegetable oil to wok. Heat over medium-high heat until lightly sizzling, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pick up peppercorns with a wire mesh skimmer and discard, leaving oil in pan.
Combine corn starch and cold water in a small bowl and mix with a fork until homogenous. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat and add tofu. Cook for 1 minute. Drain in a colander, being careful not to break up tofu.
Heat oil in wok over high heat until smoking. Add beef and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add ramp whites and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ginger and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add chili-bean paste, wine, soy sauce, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Pour in corn starch mixture and cook for 30 seconds until thickened. Add tofu and carefully fold in, being careful not to break it up too much. Stir in chili oil and half of ramp greens and simmer for 30 seconds longer. Transfer immediately to a serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining ramp greens and toasted ground Sichuan pepper. Serve immediately with white rice.
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Notes

Both the chili bean paste and the Sichuan Peppercorns can be bought online if you don't have a good Chinese market nearby. Use tofu labeled "silken" in a hardness range of medium to firm. Don't try this with the super-soft stuff or it'll fall apart!

You can use store-bought roasted chili oil, or make your own by toasting a cup of whole hot dried Chinese peppers in a wok until lightly charred, then adding 1 1/2 cups of vegetable or canola oil. Heat the oil until the chilis start to bubble slightly, then allow to cool and transfer to a sealable container. Chili oil will stay good in the refrigerator for several months.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
446	Calories
39g	Fat
9g	Carbs
20g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	446
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g	50%
Saturated Fat 5g	27%
Cholesterol 19mg	6%
Sodium 821mg	36%
Total Carbohydrate 9g	3%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 12mg	58%
Calcium 238mg	18%
Iron 4mg	20%
Potassium 479mg	10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.