I was heavily inspired by the cold Mapo Tofu recipe below when concocting this, but adjusted the seasoning to my liking; I find sesame oil very overwhelming. Served with cold roasted cherry tomatoes and chopped green onion, this was a lovely light lunch, which I also made as a dinner appetizer for guests.
Serves one person. Just make multiples of the sauce and scale portions down to a quarter of a tofu block per person if serving as an appetizer.
1/2 block of silken tofu, drained, sliced and appealing placed on a dish. Tofu should be refrigerated until needed as this dish tastes best cold.
1/2 cup roasted cherry tomato halves (optional)
2 tsps doubanjiang paste (chili bean paste) - available in the international aisle of supermarkets, often in a red tub, or on Amazon
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 small clove garlic, finely grated
Double the amount of garlic worth of fresh ginger, also grated
2 tsps of sesame oil
1 1/2 tsps of unseasoned rice vinegar
1/2 freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns
1 Tbsp water
Green onion or scallion to garnish (optional, but definitely adds to the dish)
Whisk all of the ingredients, except for the tofu and the green onion, together in a bowl.
Pour over the sliced tofu, before sprinkling some chopped green onion over the top of the dish. Eat chilled, not a room temperature.
Inspiration recipe, here.