Dinner for 4

Ma Po Tofu

Name: Ma Po Tofu
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 450 g tofu; 100 g minced beef; 1/2 tbsp sesame seed oil; 1 1/2 tsp doubanjiang; 1/2 tsp fermented black beans; 1 tbsp pepper; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp sichuan pepper; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 400 ml water; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 chopped scallions; 4 spring onions; 2 cloves chopped garlic; 4 sliced ginger; 2 1/2 tbsp water; 1 tbsp cornstarch

$7.26for 435 minServes 4

Tofu and ground beef simmer with garlic, ginger, fermented beans, and spicy seasonings in a thickened sauce.

Photo: TheMealDB

What it costs

Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
	Tofu, 16 oz$0.17/oz typical	16 oz	$2.70Typical price
	Ground beef, 0.2 lb$5.49/lb typical	0.2 lb	$1.21Typical price
	Nuts and seeds, a little$0.70/oz typical	a little	$0.10Typical price
	Canned beans, a little$0.09/oz typical	a little	$0.01Typical price
	Green onions, 0.75$1.19 each typical	0.75	$1.02Typical price
	Garlic, 0.25$0.75 each typical	0.25	$0.15Typical price
	Fresh ginger, 4 oz$0.40/oz typical	4 oz	$1.60Typical price
Total for the servings shown		$7.26

Swaps

Swap ground beef for ground turkeyabout $0.50/lb less at typical prices
Swap canned beans for dried beans and lentilsabout $0.02/oz more at typical prices

Pantry staples you likely have

Asian sauces and pastesSalt and pepperSoy sauceOlive and cooking oilCornstarch, vanilla, yeast, cocoa

Not included in the cost.

35 minstart to table
Mediumdifficulty
4servings as written
$typical cost tier

Chinese Dairy-free Budget Family Dinners

Typical price

$1.81 per serving$7.26 for 4

City Store

Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.

Ingredients

450 g tofu
100 g minced beef
1/2 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 1/2 tsp doubanjiang
1/2 tsp fermented black beans
1 tbsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sichuan pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
400 ml water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 chopped scallions
4 spring onions
2 cloves chopped garlic
4 sliced ginger
2 1/2 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornstarch

Steps

Cut the tofu into cubes, chop the garlic and scallions, and slice the spring onions.
Heat the olive oil and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cook the beef, garlic, ginger, doubanjiang, fermented black beans, pepper, Sichuan pepper, and salt for 5 minutes.
Stir in the soy sauce and 400 ml water, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
Add the tofu and simmer gently for 10 minutes without stirring heavily.
Mix the cornstarch with 2 1/2 tablespoons water, stir it in, and cook for 2 minutes until thickened.
Fold in the scallions and spring onions, and cook until the beef reaches 160 F.

Main ingredient on sale this week? See what to make with tofu on sale.