Fast dinners

These quick meals are bursting with flavour.

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Sichuan ma po tofu

PREP + COOK TIME 25 MINUTES SERVES 4

This recipe hails from the Sichuan region of China, an area renowned for its love of chilli. The name is derived from the words ‘ma’ meaning disfigured person and ‘po’ meaning old woman, a reference to the old, pockmarked woman who is said to have created it.

2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns

1 tablespoon cornflour

¼ cup (60ml) Chinese cooking wine

(shao hsing)

1 cup (250ml) chicken stock

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

3 teaspoons white sugar

½ cup (125ml) water

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

300g minced pork

2 tablespoons chili bean paste

(see note on page 86)

300g fresh silken tofu, drained, cut into 2cm cubes

¼ cup (35g) roasted peanuts, chopped coarsely

2 green onions, sliced thinly

1 Stir peppercorns in a wok over medium heat for 1 minute or until fragrant. Crush lightly using a mortar and pestle. (Alternatively, place on a chopping board and crush with the base of a clean, heavy-based saucepan.)