Mapo tofu with mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 60 g dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed (or 280 g fresh shiitake mushrooms or button mushrooms; see Note)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. chopped ginger
• 1 tbsp douchi (fermented black soybeans), chopped
• 1 tbsp + 1.5 tsp doubanjiang (spicy bean paste)
• 1 tsp ground Sichuan pepper + extra for serving
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 dried chili, such as Thai, finely chopped, optional (see Note)
• 450 g soft tofu, cut into 2.5 cm cubes.
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 0.5 tsp sugar
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced ​​diagonally
• 0.5 tsp. dark sesame oil

Preparation:

1. Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a small saucepan, cover with 2 cups of cold water, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes to allow the mushrooms to plump up.
2. Squeeze out excess water from the mushrooms, cut off and discard the stems, and finely chop the caps. Measure out the mushroom liquid and add enough cold water to make 1.5 cups.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth; set aside.
4. In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, ginger, douchi, doubanjiang, ground Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and dried chili, if using, and cook until bright red, about 1 minute.
5. Add the mushroom liquid to the wok, scraping up any browned bits. Gently stir in the tofu and bring to a boil. Add the soy sauce and sugar, then add the cornstarch paste and half the green onions. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce is glossy, about 1 minute.
6. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining green onions and, if desired, add Sichuan peppercorns. Drizzle with dark sesame oil.
   
   Note
   
   If you are using fresh mushrooms instead of dried, skip the soaking step and replace the liquid with any vegetable broth or water.
   
   The taste of the dish is quite mild, so you can add more pepper.