mapo tofu

i dropped my camera on the floor last night while cooking so i have no final picture (that's why they have wrist straps i guess). instead here's someone who really loves her veggies.
on to mapo tofu: this dish was definitely different from the typical stir fry that i make. i looked around for a bunch of recipes online and picked and chose aspects from a couple of them to make something that sounded good to me. i went to my local asian grocery to find doubanjiang, or chinese broad bean chile paste, and then to my favourite store, the spice house, for szechwan peppercorns. the grocery had a japanese version of the chile paste which had soybeans as well as broad beans; close enough for a first time i think, and i didn't feel like trekking out to the super h mart (super asian mega mart).
a couple things that interested me about the recipe: silken tofu? i had no idea it was made with soft tofu until i'd read five or ten recipes. normally i like my tofu extra firm - pressed, seasoned, and baked so it's nice and chewy. i compromised by using the firm (not extra firm) tofu and not pressing it. also, a couple of recipes recommended par-boiling the tofu - more curiousness, but it did firm it up quite a bit. lastly, szechwan peppercorns were illegal to import from 1968-2005. i assumed this was for illicit reasons until i read that it was just some crop disease... the department of agriculture takes the fun out of everything. anyway, here's what i used:

• 1 19 oz. package firm tofu cut into 1 in. cubes
• 3 tbs. szechwan peppercorns, separated
• 1 cup morningstar crumbles (or any fake meat), optional
• 2 dried thai red chiles, seeds discarded, minced fine
  
• 1 thumb size piece of ginger, minced fine
• 2 tbs. soy sauce
• 1 tbs. black bean garlic sauce
• 3 tbs. doubanjiang
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup rice wine
• slurry made up of 2 tsp. corn starch and 2 tbs. water
• enough oil to stir fry
• 1 scallion, sliced, to garnish

boil enough water to submerge the tofu and par-boil for five minutes, remove and drain. over high heat in a dry wok toast 2 tbs. szechwan peppercorns. remove and grind fine in a mortar. add enough oil to coat wok and remaining peppercorns. cook until hissing and popping, remove and discard. add fake meat if using (be careful, oil may spatter) and dry chiles; fry about a minute, add ginger and toss and stir until very fragrant. add black bean sauce, doubanjiang, and soy sauce. stir fry for 30 seconds, then add wine, water and tofu. stir well, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. add slurry, stir until thickened and garnish with scallion and ground szechwan peppercorns. serve with white rice.
not nearly as spicy as i anticipated, but my fire burns hot. nice lasting heat with a very interesting flavour. no tortoises were harmed in the making of this recipe.