Soma's Mapo Paneer

Last weekend an old friend and bestselling author was visiting us in San Diego. We were meeting after 5+ years and had lots of reasons to celebrate. So, we went to have dinner at Khan's Cave. As you all know, I have a soft spot for Asian food. This restaurant does Asian food very well. While ordering, I noticed this unique dish - Mapo Tofu. They defined it as 'spicy tofu casserole with minced chicken and shitake mushrooms'. It intrigued me and we ordered it. Result: We LOVED it! The softness of the tofu and the mouth-feel of the minced chicken was a delightful combination. And ever since I got back, I was craving for more!

So, I had to make it. It was a weeknight and there was no time to shop for ingredients, hence I had to improvise. We had some paneer in the fridge and some ground turkey. Based on the flavors I experienced, I figured I will be able to recreate it. And, I am very happy to report that it was a grand success!

Soma's Mapo Paneer @ Soma's Kitchen

Ingredients
Ground Turkey, 1 lb
Paneer, 1 lb, cut into small one centimeter cubes
1-inch ginger, minced
1/2 head of garlic, peeled, minced
Sugar, 1 tsp
Koon Chun Double Black Soy Sauce, 2 tablespoon
Pantai Chili paste with Soy bean oil, 1 or 2 tablespoon
Runel Sambal Badjak, 2 teaspoon (depending on how spicy you want)
Lau Ganma Chili in oil, 1 teaspoon (depending on how spicy you want)
Schezwan peppers, ground fine, 1/2 teaspoon
Tapioca flour, 3 tablespoon mixed in one cup of water

Preparation

1. Heat a heavy pan, add the ground turkey and start sauteing.  I usually use a non-stick pan and so I do not add any oil / fat. You may have to spray some oil/fat if you are not using a non-stick cooking surface.
2. Add few dashes of the soy sauce, garlic and ginger and mix well. While sauteing, make sure that the clumps break down and the meat is no longer pink. The soy sauce takes away the 'meaty' smell and also adds flavor and salt to the dish.
3. When the meat is no longer pink, add the about 2 tablespoons Pantai chili paste, Sambal, Lao Ganma chili, sugar, and schezwan peppers. Mix well for about two minutes and let the flavors mingle.
4. Add the paneer, mix well for 2 - 3 minutes. Let the turkey mixture coat the paneer.
5. Add the tapioca water. Mix well. Add more water to get the desired consistency.
6. Garnish with thinly sliced spring onions or chives. (I did not have them handy!)

The dish came out very well. I will try to do it again with tofu. From what I understand, Mapo Tofu has no set recipe.  People make it the way it suits them. So, I feel quite good about creating my own version of the dish, an Indian-Schezwan fusion!

If you make it at home following this recipe, please do let me know how it came out to be. I will be very happy to hear about your version / experiments.