Vietnamese Ma Po Tofu

The reason that I named this recipe, Vietnamese Ma Po Tofu, is that this dish is very popular among the Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Lao, etc. cuisines that are making it in their own versions. Chinese food dominates the world with its excellent technique of cooking. Therefore, although some other countries like Vietnam have similar dishes, like Ma Po Tofu, their recipes still belong to the Chinese cuisine. The Vietnamese are living on the same continent, of course, and will use the same spices when it comes to cooking, but they always have to call their food Chinese dishes. This practice has become a habit for many years. I would like to break this habit now by introducing this version of Ma Po Tofu and name it "Vietnamese Ma Po Tofu” or “Ground Chicken Cooked with Bean Curds”. Believe me, this recipe is much healthier and less salty than the Chinese Ma Po Tofu.

 Ingredients:
1 pack of tofu
1/2 lb of ground chicken or pork
1/4 cup chopped white oions
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
Spices
2 tbs miso paste
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs sake or dry sherry
1 cup water
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili flakes
Thickening
1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs water

Directions:
Cut tofu into 1 in. cubes. Bring 3 cups of water to boil and parboil the tofu for 5 minutes. Drain the parboiled tofu and set aside.
Mix spices ingredients together and set aside
Mix the thickening agents in a bowl and set aside
Heat oil in a sauté pan and then add white onions ,ginger and garlic paste. Cook for 1 minute. Add ground chicken and use a wooden spoon to break the meat. Stir and cook until there is no trace of pink. Add the mixed spices and bring to boil.
Add tofu and green onions. Cook for 2 minutes and add the thickening agent mixture. Cook for another 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Serve.