Mapo 2-in-1

My wife is a big fan of Mapo Tofu and Mapo Nasu.
It's a simple chili tofu and eggplant dish that goes nicely over a hot steaming bowl of rice.
Perfect for the chilly weather we are facing here in NJ/NY.
So when I stopped at the local Asian Grocery last night to pick up some produce, I was pleasantly surprised to see some great asian eggplant, and very good soft tofu. The butcher had just ground up some nice pork belly so that was also a plus.

Amendment to an earlier recipe - Mapo Tofu April 5, 2007
***before adding the ground pork, add the doban jan, chili, and hoisin sauce and cook it for 1 minute on high heat. this will help bring all the flavors together and your ground pork will cook in it and absorb the flavors better.


"Koto-Koto"

The Japanese word "koto-koto" describes this video image.
It's an onomatopoeia for something simmering in a thick sauce.
The thick sauce is a result of corn starch being added in the final step of the dish.