Name: Mala Xiang Guo
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons Sichuan doubanjiang (spicy bean paste); 1 tablespoon mala spice mix or Sichuan chili paste; 3-4 dried red chilies; 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced; 2 green onions, cut into sections; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; Protein of choice (beef, chicken, shrimp, tofu — sliced); Vegetables of choice (lotus root, potato, broccoli, mushrooms, bok choy — sliced or chopped); 1 handful glass noodles or rice cakes (optional)

1

Prepare all ingredients by washing, slicing, and pre-cooking any items that need longer cooking times (such as potatoes or lotus root — blanch or par-boil these first).

2

Heat oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat.

3

Add Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chilies; stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.

4

Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.

5

Add doubanjiang (spicy bean paste) and mala spice paste; stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the oil turns red and aromatic.

6

Add your choice of protein and stir-fry until nearly cooked through.

7

Add harder vegetables first (lotus root, potato, broccoli stems) and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.