Szechuan Mala Spicy Spicy Recipe

Combine chicken stock, sliced ginger, smashed scallions, dried tangerine peel, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, and salt in a medium pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to infuse flavors.

After simmering, strain the broth into a clean pot or bowl, discarding solids. Keep the strained broth warm over low heat while you prepare the chili oil base.

Toast spices

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the whole Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Reserve the toasted spices for the oil; discard larger solids later or strain them out.

In a heatproof bowl large enough to hold the oil and chili flakes, place the crushed chili flakes, broken dried red chilies, minced garlic, minced ginger, chopped scallion whites, doubanjiang, and chopped fermented black beans.

In a small saucepan, combine the neutral oil and the toasted whole spices. Heat the oil over medium-low until it reaches 275–300°F (135–150°C) — hot enough to sizzle but not smoking. If you don't have a thermometer, heat until small bubbles appear around a wooden chopstick inserted in the oil and the oil is shimmering.

Carefully pour the hot spiced oil into the bowl with the chili-flavor mixture in a slow, steady stream to sizzle and bloom the aromatics. Stir gently with a spatula to combine. Let sit for 10–15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse and for the oil to cool slightly.

Once cooled a bit, strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve into a clean jar if you prefer a clear oil, pressing solids to extract flavor, or leave some solids in for texture (traditional). Reserve the oil and the solids separately if you strained them.

Return the strained warm broth to medium heat. Stir in 3–4 tablespoons of the prepared chili oil (adjust to heat preference) and 1 tablespoon doubanjiang (optional for deeper color and umami). Taste and adjust salt and sugar if needed.

Add 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn to the broth and whisk to incorporate for an overall numbing sensation. Add the toasted sesame oil and black vinegar, stir, and simmer gently for 3–5 minutes to marry flavors.

Bring the assembled mala broth to a rolling simmer. Add vegetables that take longer first (napa cabbage, mushrooms, bamboo shoots) and simmer 2–4 minutes until tender-crisp.

Add thinly sliced beef or pork (or tofu) and cook until just done — about 30–60 seconds for thin meat, 2–3 minutes for tofu. Meanwhile, cook rice or cellophane noodles separately according to package instructions and drain.

Combine cooked noodles into serving bowls, ladle the hot mala broth with vegetables and protein over the noodles. Spoon extra chili oil solids on top for heat and texture if desired.

Garnish each bowl with chopped cilantro, sliced scallion greens, toasted sesame seeds, and an extra drizzle of chili oil. Offer extra ground Sichuan peppercorn, white pepper, or chili oil at the table for diners to adjust spice and numbness to taste.

Serve immediately while piping hot. Leftover chili oil will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks; broth can be refrigerated 3–4 days or frozen for longer storage.