Vegan Mabo Dofu (Japanese Style Mapo Tofu)

This Mabo Dofu is Japanese-style mapo tofu made with a light and gentle blend of seasonings that creates an appetizing flavor. You won't find anything too spicy, but the dish still has enough heat to create a satisfying meal for everyone in your family!

Mapo tofu is a Chinese dish and also a popular home cook dish in Japan. It's one of our favorite dishes because it has nice flavors and goes really well with noodles or steamed rice.

It's usually cooked with minced meat but I made it in a vegan recipe.

This recipe is for you if:
• you love tofu and Japanese recipe.
• you are looking for a mabo dofu recipe.
• you want to make Japanese mabo dofu.
• you are looking for a vegan/vegetarian tofu recipe.

I will show you how to make this vegan dish. If you want to check the recipe, please jump to the recipe card. Let's get cooking!

About this recipe

• Mapo tofu with Japanese seasonings
• Use dashi (soup stock) to add umami taste
• The spice is moderate
• Vegan recipe

📋 Ingredients

Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).

• Firm tofu: We use firm tofu (momen) for this recipe. There is no need to press tofu, but if you prefer extra-firm tofu, go see "How to press tofu" recipe.
• Vegetables: Ginger, garlic, scallions.
• Doubanjiang: This is a Chinese spicy bean paste and key ingredient for mapo tofu. In the recipe, add a little so that small children can eat it. If you like spicy food, please add it as you like.
• Dashi soup: Dried shiitake mushrooms, Mirin, Soy sauce, Miso, Potato starch. Dashi is Japanese soup stock. Soap the dried shiitake mushrooms (1 hour or more) and mix with seasonings to make the soup.
• Sesame oil 

🔪Instructions

I will show you how to make it step by step. You can also watch this video.

1. Soak dried shiiitake mushrooms in water to make dashi.
2. Chop ginger and garlic finely.
3. Chop the shiitake mushrooms finely.
4. Cut tofu in half (One half is cut into bite sizes, other half is not cut).
5. Mix seasonings.
6. Mix 1 and 5 to make dashi soup.

7. Cook vegetables until fragrant.
8. Add shiitake and the half of tofu (the one not cut).
9. Cook over medium heat and scramble tofu.
10. Add the other half of tofu and dashi soup.
11. Simmer on low.
12. Add chopped scallions.

Here you go! It can be enjoyed by itself or over steamed rice (which is my favorite)!

This recipe includes just enough spiciness for little kids, but if you're into spicy food, go ahead and add more!

You can store leftovers in your fridge up until 3 days after cooking this delicious meal.

🥗 Side dishes

What dish goes well with Mabo dofu? Here are some ideas:

• Japanese Pickled Napa Cabbage
• Eggplant Teriyaki
• Kiriboshi Daikon Salad
• Simmered Daikon and Atsuage
• Cucumber with shiokombu

Thanks for Stopping By

I hope you and your family will enjoy this mabo dofu recipe! It's an easy-to-make, healthy dinner with a lot of delicious flavors.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you’ve tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!

Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

More Tofu Recipes You Might Like

• Vegan tofu nuggets
• Vegetarian tofu hambagu
• Teriyaki tofu and mushrooms
• Teriyaki atsuage recipe
• Japanse Tofu and Seaweed Salad

📖 Recipe

Vegan Mabo Dofu (Japanese Style Mapo Tofu)

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: JURI

This Mabo dofu is Japanese-style Mapo Tofu is made with a light and gentle blend of seasonings that creates an appetizing flavor. You won't find anything too spicy, but the dish still has enough heat to create a satisfying meal for everyone in your family!

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 300 g Firm tofu
• ▢ 2 bunch Scallions
• ▢ 1 clove Ginger
• ▢ 1 clove Garlic
• ▢ Pinch of Doubanjiang
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Sesame oil

Dashi (Stock)

• ▢ 3 Dried shiitake mushrooms
• ▢ 200 ml Water

Seasonings

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Mirin
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Miso
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Potato starch

Instructions

• Make dashi: Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water for more than one hour.
• Cut vegetables: Chop scallions, ginger, and garlic finely. Squeeze the dried shiitake mushrooms, remove the stems, and chop them finely.
• Cut tofu: Cut tofu in half, cut one half into bite-size pieces, and leave the other half as it is.
• Dashi soup: Put all seasonings into a bowl, mix, and add dashi to make a dashi soup.
• Cook vegetables: Put sesame oil in a frying pan, heat on low heat, add garlic, ginger, doubanjiang and cook until fragrant.
• Add shiitake and tofu: Add tofu (the one not cut), chopped shiitake, and stir fry scrambling tofu over medium heat for 2-3 mins.
• Simmer: Put the dashi soup and the rest of the tofu, bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for about 3 mins.
• Finish: Add chopped scallions and stir lightly.

Video

Notes

• Equipment: Frying pan 26 cm/10 inches
• Storage: 3 days in the fridge.
• We use firm tofu (momen) for this recipe. There is no need to press tofu, but if you prefer extra-firm tofu, go see "How to press tofu" recipe.
• If you have time, I recommend soaking dried shiitake mushrooms in water overnight in the fridge.
• The amount of doubanjiang is modest so that even small children can eat it, but if you like spicy food, add it as you like.
• Cooking time doesn't include the time for soaking shiitake mushrooms.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 8.6g | Fat: 7.6g | Sodium: 155mg | Sugar: 2.6g

Course: Main

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Japanese-style mapo tofu, vegan

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