Korean-Style "Mapo Tofu" Over Noodles Content

Our friend and food expert, James Park, shares the same affinity for Chili Crunch as us. He loves this magical spicy-crunchy chili oil so much, he wrote book dedicated to the condiment. To celebrate the release of Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings, he's exclusively shared one of the saucy noodle recipes with us, using our Momofuku Chili Crunch and Noodles. Serves 2 to 4. 

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"Mapo tofu is one of the first Sichuan dishes that I ever tasted. Tingling peppercorns in the sauce! Chili oil–covered tofu! Even though I was sweating profusely, I inhaled the mapo tofu. Traditionally, mapo tofu uses doubanjiang, spicy bean sauce, to create a savory, tangy broth. I wanted to create a similar flavor profile with Korean pantry staples, like gochujang and gochugaru. They bring different nuances of heat compared to Sichuan peppercorns and doubanjiang but are equally fragrant and flavorful. 

What I love about this dish is the way the tofu is prepared. For traditional mapo tofu, silken tofu is mixed into the spicy, tingling sauce toward the end. But, for this recipe, firm tofu gets seared first before being incorporated into the sauce. Even after being mixed into the sauce, the crispy tofu can stand on its own and adds a nice texture. 

You can serve this with rice, but I particularly enjoy eating mapo tofu with noodles. The sauce clings beautifully to the noodles’ wavy edges, and you get a different type of pleasure compared to eating mapo tofu with rice. When I feel frisky, I sometimes enjoy this mapo tofu sauce with noodles first, followed by scoops of rice to soak up all the sauce. Double carbs to enjoy this flavorful, spicy sauce? That’s my way of eating my feelings." — James Park

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Squeeze out extra moisture from the tofu by pressing it between paper towels or a dish towel. Cut it into 1 in cubes. Season it with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. 

In a large skillet, sauté pan, or wok over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil. Add the tofu and pan-fry on all sides for 3 to 4 minutes total, or until light golden brown. Depending on the size of the pan, do this step in batches to make sure not to crowd the pan. Set the tofu aside once done pan-frying. 

In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the green parts of the chopped green onion for garnish, then add the rest of the green onions, garlic, and ginger to the pan, and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the pork to the pan and season it with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Break the meat apart into small pieces using a wooden spoon or a spatula. Add the diced onion and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the ground meat is no longer pink and the onion looks slightly translucent. 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the gochujang, oyster sauce, soy sauce, gochugaru, and Momofuku Chili Crunch and stir to combine. Once it’s become a homogeneous seasoning paste, add it to the ground meat mixture and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes more, or until the ground meat fully absorbs all the seasonings, then add the chicken broth. 

Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 5 to 7 more minutes to develop the flavors. Then, add the fried tofu cubes to the sauce and cook for a few more minutes, or until the fried tofu cubes absorb some broth. 

Meanwhile, make a slurry by mixing the potato starch with 1 tablespoon of water. Gradually add the slurry to the sauce to get the desired consistency, adding more as needed. If it gets too thick, add more water. Finish the mapo tofu sauce by adding the toasted sesame oil and black vinegar. 

Cook the Momofuku Noodles according to the package directions. Assemble the dish by dividing the cooked noodles among bowls, ladling a generous amount of the mapo tofu sauce on top, and garnishing with an extra spoonful of Chili Crunch and the reserved green onions. 

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.