Mapo Potato

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published Feb. 7, 2023

Mapo Potato
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(522)
Comments
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Let’s be clear: Nothing surpasses the hearty deliciousness of a traditional mapo tofu. But for those days when you find yourself without soft tofu in the fridge, or when you are craving something vegetarian, this mapo potato will hit the mark. Potatoes step in for tofu and pork, providing a perfect vessel that eagerly soaks up all of the deep fermented flavors. (If you want a hit of protein, you can add some soft tofu just before you add the cornstarch slurry in Step 3.) Doubanjiang, a fermented bean paste that is a staple in Chinese cuisine, provides mapo dishes with its signature spicy umami richness; each brand will vary in heat so adjust according to your personal preference. If you don’t have doubanjiang, you could substitute with fermented black soybeans, which are less spicy but will give you similar salty funkiness.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • Neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed
  • 2 to 3tablespoons doubanjiang
  • 1teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns (from 1 teaspoon whole)
  • 2carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 to 2dried whole red chiles or ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 1(1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 3garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2½pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5 medium potatoes), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 2cups vegetable stock
  • 2teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 1tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • Chile oil or chile crisp, for serving, optional
  • White rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

221 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 693 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large Dutch oven or wide pot over medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil along with the doubanjiang, Sichuan peppercorns, carrots and dried chile. Stir for 2 minutes, until fragrant and carrots have softened slightly.

  2. Step 2

    Add the ginger, garlic and potatoes and sugar and stir well. Add the stock and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the cornstarch slurry and stir carefully, doing your best not to break up the potatoes. (It’s OK if some of them break.) Remove from the heat.

  4. Step 4

    Taste and season with salt, if needed. Finish with sesame oil and scallions and, if you want more heat, drizzle with chile oil. Serve with rice.

Ratings

4 out of 5
522 user ratings
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Comments

Rebecca

I am firmly on Team Mapo Tato. And on Team Make This Tonight. Mapo Tofu is one of my favorite dishes, but I'm the only one in the house who likes tofu. This dish made everyone happy. I did almost double the Sichuan peppercorns because I love that tingle.

Brent

This was great. Added shiitake (diced and cooked dry in the wok before adding back after the carrot saute) and made shiitake stem broth (like in the NYT vegan mapo tofu recipe) to replace the veggie broth. Was using baby potatoes and peeled half until I gave up but it didn't seem to matter.

Erin.

Two points here... 1) This should not be labeled as a 30 minute dish. Maybe it takes 30 minutes after you've done all the peeling and chopping... which takes a lot of time. 2) I tried making this without the a key ingredient: doubanjiang. I subbed with gochujang and the results were pretty meh because I skipped a key element of the flavor. If you're tempted to try the same--don't, either skip this recipe or wait until you can do it properly.

JB

Amazing! Added mushrooms (cooked first) a shallot (cooked with the potato garlic) and bok choy (at the end). Cooking it a bit longer get those potatoes nice and flavorful! Definitely a make again.

Ali

I liked the sauce with the carrots on top of the rice. The potatoes somehow stayed too bland. (Maybe peeling would help?) Next time I would try fewer potatoes and way more carrots, maybe also use some mushrooms.

Cristina

Added soft tofu, as suggested, but found the meal lacked depth of flavor. So I added my spinach salad right on top along with blue cheese dressing and it wilted into a wonderful bowl dish!

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