Ma La Xiang Guo (Spicy Numbing Stir-fry Pot)
User Reviews
5
Ma La Xiang Guo (Spicy Numbing Stir-fry Pot)
Description
Ma La Xiang Guo assembles a variety of blanched vegetables including celery, carrot, potato, lotus root, mushrooms, cabbage, and tofu bean threads alongside optional fish balls, stir-fried in a spicy, fragrant oil. The oil is carefully prepared by infusing neutral oil with whole spices such as star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, and dried chili peppers for 20 minutes, creating a complex aromatic base. This oil is then combined with spicy red bean sauce and hot pot soup base, and sautéed with aromatics like ginger, garlic, and shallots to release deep flavor. Afterward, the vegetables, chili peppers, scallions, and seasonings like Shaoxing wine and sugar are stir-fried together briefly, allowing the numbing and warming flavors to fully coat the ingredients. Salt is adjusted to taste, and fresh cilantro is added at the end. The result is a rich, spicy, and textured stir-fry with tender vegetables and balanced heat and aroma.
This dish can be served as a main or shared dish, pairing well with steamed rice or as part of a larger meal. The combination of spices and fresh produce gives it a distinctive spicy and numbing profile typical of Sichuan cuisine.
Ingredients
For the vegetables:
- 3 celery thinly sliced, stalks
- 2 carrot thinly sliced
- 2 potato sliced
- 2 cups wood-ear mushrooms rinsed and drained, rehydrated
- 3 tofu bean threads Fǔzhú, drained, long pieces, rehydrated
- 4-6 shiitake (rehydrated if using dried shiitake mushrooms, washed and sliced)
- lotus root sliced, a handful
For the spice-infused oil:
- 1/3 cup neutral cooking oil 80 ml, generic cooking oil
- 3 star anise
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorn
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaf
- 1 nutmeg whole
- 1 orange peel dried, large
- 2 pieces dried ginger (or 5 slices of fresh ginger)
- 1/4 cup red chili pepper keep them whole to avoid the dish being too hot, dried
For the rest of the dish:
- 2 tablespoons red bean sauce spicy
- 2 tablespoons hot pot soup base sauce
- 6 lices ginger
- 8 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 3 shallot sliced
- 1 cup red chili pepper keep them whole to avoid the dish being too hot, dried
- 3 scallions (chopped)
- 1/4 cabbage sliced, head
- 7 oz. fish balls 200g, optional, pack
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- salt to taste
- cilantro a handful, chopped
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 Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 361 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 361kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 43g | 14% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Sodium | 173mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 809mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 3545IU | 71% |
| Vitamin C | 39.1mg | 43% |
| Calcium | 138mg | 14% |
| Iron | 5.2mg | 29% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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