Mapo Tofu

Steps

1. Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes. Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer, slide in the tofu, and let it sit for 3 minutes to firm up. Drain carefully in a colander without breaking the cubes.
2. Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry wok over medium heat for about 1 minute, shaking often, until fragrant. Tip into a mortar and grind coarsely; set aside.
3. Mince the garlic and ginger. Trim and thinly slice the green onions, keeping the white and green parts separate.
4. Stir the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl until smooth; set this slurry aside.
5. Heat the vegetable oil in the wok over medium heat. Add the doubanjiang, garlic, ginger, and white parts of the green onion. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant and the oil turns a deep red.
6. Pour in the vegetable broth and soy sauce, stirring to combine, and bring to a gentle simmer.
7. Gently slide the drained tofu into the simmering sauce. Shake the wok occasionally rather than stirring hard, and let it bubble gently for 5 minutes so the tofu absorbs flavor without breaking apart.
8. Drizzle in the cornstarch slurry while gently shaking the pan, and simmer for 1 more minute until the sauce turns glossy and thickens enough to coat the tofu.
9. Taste the sauce and adjust with a little more soy sauce if needed. Sprinkle in half the ground Sichuan pepper and stir through gently.
10. Spoon the mapo tofu over bowls of steamed rice. Finish with the remaining ground Sichuan pepper and the sliced green onion tops, then serve immediately while hot.