Spicy Beef And Tofu Rice Bowl (Mabo Don)

Serves 4
15 minutes

Rated by 34 people

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For a hearty, meaty meal with a spicy kick, it is hard to beat mabo don. Belonging to the donburi family (one bowl dishes of rice with meat/vegetable toppings), mabo don is a mixture of spicy minced beef, tofu, and seasonings, inspired by the hot and spicy 'mabo' dishes of the Sichuan province of China. Enjoy this dish for lunch or as a light dinner, perhaps with a plate of gyoza on the side.

Ingredients

• 100g minced beef
• 1 packet mabo tofu stir-fry sauce
• 1 packet firm tofu
• 4 spring onions
• 1 tsp la-yu chilli oil (optional)
• 600g rice

How To Prepare

Of course to make the base of your donburi you’re going to need some cooked Japanese rice. Just follow our online recipe to get this basic ingredient spot on.
Now the rice is cooking, let’s prepare our mabo tofu topping. You should start by first cutting your tofu into bite-size cubes. Then, grab a pan and cook your minced beef with a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Once your meat has browned, remove the excess oil from the pan and add the Mabo Tofu Stir-Fry Sauce. Let the mix simmer for a few minutes until you can see the sauce lightly bubbling away. You can then add the la-yu chilli oil if you want an extra fiery kick.
Finally, add the tofu cubes and stir gently into the sauce. Let it simmer for a few minutes before taking off the heat and pouring equally over your bowls of freshly steamed rice. Lastly, sprinkle one finely sliced spring onion on the top of each bowl to serve.

Tips and Information

• If you are not using the mabo tofu stir-fry sauce recommended, please make sure to refer to the directions on your packet, or on the product’s page on our website.
• Each mabo tofu stir-fry sauce has a different degree of spiciness, try to find the one that’s best for you.
• You can also use minced pork or chicken (or no meat at all). In that case you can replace it with shiitake mushrooms, aubergine or other vegetables of your choice.