Ma La Xiang Guo (Spicy Numbing Stir-fry Pot)

4.97 from 27 votes

Ma La Xiang Guo (Spicy Numbing Stir-fry Pot)

This ma la xiang guo recipe (a spicy mix of vegetables, meats, and Sichuan seasonings) is a recreation of a dish we enjoyed often when we lived in Beijing.

Prep Time3

Cook Time30

Total Time3 30

Course: Vegetables

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: servings

Calories: 361kcal

Author: Judy

Ingredients

For the vegetables:

3 celery stalks (thinly sliced)
2 carrots (thinly sliced)
2 potatoes (sliced)
2 cups rehydrated wood-ear mushrooms (rinsed and drained)
3 long pieces of rehydrated tofu bean threads (Fǔzhú, drained)
4-6 shiitake (rehydrated if using dried shiitake mushrooms, washed and sliced)
a handful of sliced lotus root

For the spice-infused oil:

1/3 cup oil (80 ml)
3 star anise
2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorn
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 black cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
1 whole nutmeg
1 large dried orange peel
2 pieces dried ginger (or 5 slices of fresh ginger)
1/4 cup dried red chili peppers (keep them whole to avoid the dish being too hot)

For the rest of the dish:

2 tablespoons spicy red bean sauce
2 tablespoons hot pot soup base sauce
6 slices ginger
8 cloves garlic (smashed)
3 shallots (sliced)
1 cup dried red chili peppers (keep them whole to avoid the dish being too hot)
3 scallions (chopped)
1/4 head cabbage (sliced)
7 oz. pack fish balls (200g, optional)
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt to taste
a handful of chopped cilantro

Instructions

To prepare the vegetables:

First, bring a pot of water to a boil, and blanch all the vegetables (potatoes and carrots will take slightly more time), then transfer to an ice bath. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

To make the spice-infused oil:

Heat the oil in a wok over low heat, add all the spices, and let them infuse for 20 minutes, until all the spices start to brown. Turn off the heat, and use a slotted spoon to scoop out all of the spices, keep the oil in the wok.

To assemble the dish:

Turn the heat back on low to medium, add in the hot bean sauce, hot pot soup base sauce, ginger, garlic, and shallots. Cook for a couple of minutes until the oil turns red, taking care not to burn the sauce.
Now add in the dried chili peppers, scallions, and cabbage. Stir and mix everything for 2 minutes.
Stir in the fish balls and all the blanched vegetables, adding in the shaoxing rice wine and sugar. Stir-fry and mix everything well for two minutes. Salt to taste. Transfer to a serving plate (or serve right from the wok), and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with plenty of steamed rice.

Nutrition

Ma La Xiang Guo (Spicy Numbing Stir-fry Pot) by The Woks of Life. 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