Sichuan Mala Xiang Guo

Mala Xiang Guo is Chengdu's beloved late-night stir-fry where diners select raw ingredients — vegetables, meats, tofu, and offal — which are then wok-tossed to order in a blazing bath of dried chillis, Sichuan peppercorns, and fermented black bean paste. Unlike its cousin hotpot, the xiang guo is dry-tossed, concentrating the mala (numbing-spicy) flavour into a rich, glossy coating on every piece.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 200g (7 oz) firm tofu, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 150g (5 oz) thinly sliced pork belly
• 100g (3.5 oz) lotus root, sliced 5 mm thick
• 100g (3.5 oz) wood-ear mushrooms, torn
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 4 cm pieces
• 1 small head broccoli, broken into florets, blanched 1 minute
• 6 dried er jing tiao chillis, snipped
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Sichuan peppercorns, dry-toasted
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) doubanjiang (Pixian fermented broad-bean paste)
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) fermented black beans (douchi), rinsed and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 3 cm knob fresh ginger, julienned
• 2 spring onions, cut into 3 cm sections
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce
• 1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
• 1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil
• Toasted sesame seeds, to finish

Instructions

1. Press tofu between paper towels for 10 minutes, then pan-fry in 1 tbsp oil over high heat, turning every 2 minutes, until golden on all sides (8 minutes total). Remove and set aside.
2. Heat remaining oil in a wok over the highest flame until smoking. Add pork belly and stir-fry 2–3 minutes until the fat renders and edges brown. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same wok, fry dried chillis and Sichuan peppercorns 30 seconds until fragrant. Add doubanjiang and douchi; stir-fry 1–2 minutes until the oil turns brick-red and fragrant.
4. Add garlic, ginger, and spring onion whites; toss 30 seconds. Add lotus root and wood-ear mushrooms; stir-fry 3 minutes over high heat.
5. Return tofu and pork belly to the wok. Add celery and broccoli. Season with soy sauce and sugar; toss everything vigorously for 2 minutes until each piece is coated in the scarlet sauce.
6. Drizzle sesame oil, scatter spring onion greens and sesame seeds, and serve immediately from the wok.

Cook's Notes: The secret is wok hei — a searingly hot wok and quick tossing. Swap or add any ingredient you like: fish balls, quail eggs, enoki mushrooms, and potato slices are all classic additions. Reduce the peppercorns for a gentler version.