Chinese Recipe : Hot Mapo Tofu - Mashed Beancurd with Minced Beef

This is a Western Chinese recipe

Ingredients:

• 5-6 Chinese mushrooms
• 1 ¼ cups water
• ¼ cup oil
• 2 tsps salted black beans, soaked for 10 minutes and drained
• 5-6 tbsps ground beef
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsps soy sauce
• 2 tbsps hoisin sauce
• 2 tsps chili sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2-3 cakes bean curd, diced
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 2 tsps cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tbsps water
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. Soak the mushrooms in the water for 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the water. Stem the mushrooms and cut into quarters.
2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the black beans. Stir fry for 20 seconds. Add the beef, half the scallions and the mushrooms. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, 3-4 tbsps of the mushroom water, the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, sugar, beancurd and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in the cornstarch mixture, the remaining scallions and the sesame seed oil. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Serve hot.