Homemade Mala Xiang Guo with Haidilao Sauce: A Spicy & Numbing Delight
Easy Haidilao Mala Xiang Guo Recipe at Home: Ingredients & Soaking Fu Zhu Tips
While I’m not always a fan of Mala Tang, I absolutely adore Mala Xiang Guo! The spicy Mala sauce combined with the joy of picking out various vegetables one by one is incredibly satisfying. And isn’t there a fun element in how the numbing sensation intensifies as you keep eating, almost making you lose your sense of taste? Haha, the cooking process is actually very simple. Let me show you how to make Mala Xiang Guo at home. All you need are a store-bought Mala Xiang Guo sauce and your favorite ingredients! I’m using the Haidilao brand, known for its rich and numbing mala flavor due to its generous amount of spices. For ingredients, prepare whatever you fancy! I opted for crunchy lotus root and potato, mushrooms, and bok choy for vegetables, and thinly sliced pork belly for the meat. You can substitute with lamb or thinly sliced beef suitable for hot pot. Don’t forget the soft and chewy fu zhu (dried tofu skin) and Chinese glass noodles! Remember to soak them in advance for a generous amount of time so they’re ready to be added directly to the pan. Let’s get started on making delicious Mala Xiang Guo at home with Haidilao sauce!
Ingredients
- Haidilao Mala Xiang Guo Sauce 1 pack (110g)
- Lao Gan Ma (or substitute with chili oil)
- Dried Fu Zhu (Tofu Skin)
- Chinese Glass Noodles
- Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms
- 1 Potato
- 1 handful Lotus Root
- 1 bag Enoki Mushrooms
- 5 stalks Bok Choy
- 1 handful Rice Cakes or Tteokbokki Rice Cakes
- 6 Sausages
- 250g Pork Belly (thinly sliced)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
This is the Haidilao Mala Xiang Guo sauce. Compared to other brands, it contains more spices like Sichuan peppercorns, making it exceptionally numbing and intensely flavorful, which is why I prefer it. It’s perfect for achieving that authentic mala taste at home.
Step 2
One pack of the sauce typically contains two sachets. For this recipe, we’ll use just one sachet. If you’re cooking a smaller portion, adjust the amount of sauce accordingly. Using too much can make the dish overly salty.
Step 3
Before you start cooking, make sure to soak the ingredients that require it. Wood ear mushrooms rehydrate quickly in about 20 minutes, but dried fu zhu and Chinese glass noodles need a longer soaking time – at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. This ensures they become tender and ready to use directly in the stir-fry. Soaking them the night before is a great time-saving tip.
Step 4
When soaking the fu zhu, make sure it softens all the way through until there are no hard cores left. The longer it soaks, the more tender it will become and the better it will absorb the sauce.
Step 5
The Chinese glass noodles are sufficiently soaked when they become translucent and bend softly when you hold them. Proper soaking is key to achieving that wonderfully chewy texture.
Step 6
Adding potato makes the dish more substantial and delicious! Slice it thinly so it cooks through evenly and quickly.
Step 7
After slicing the potatoes, rinse them under cold water to remove excess starch. This prevents them from sticking together during cooking and results in a cleaner texture.
Step 8
Lotus root adds a delightful crispness to the Mala Xiang Guo. Slice it thinly as well, so it cooks nicely and absorbs the flavors of the sauce.
Step 9
To remove any astringency and starch from the sliced lotus root, soak it in water with a splash of vinegar. This step helps to maintain its crisp texture and clean taste.
Step 10
Any type of mushroom works well here. I’m using enoki mushrooms because I had them on hand. Since mushrooms shrink significantly when cooked, don’t hesitate to use a generous amount.
Step 11
Bok choy adds a fresh, crisp element and a beautiful green color to the dish, giving it an authentic Chinese feel. For thicker stalks, make a cross-shaped cut or halve them lengthwise. Smaller ones can be simply halved, or you can separate the leaves if you prefer.
Step 12
Chewy rice cakes add another delightful texture. You can use either tteokbokki-style rice cakes or regular glutinous rice cakes.
Step 13
Making cuts on the sausages not only makes them look appealing when cooked but also allows them to soak up the flavorful sauce better.
Step 14
While lamb or beef are great options, I’m using thinly sliced pork belly from my freezer. Pork belly needs to be cooked first, so place it in the wok and stir-fry until it’s golden brown and slightly crispy.
Step 15
Once the pork belly is nicely browned, remove it from the wok and set aside. This prevents it from becoming tough when stir-fried again with the other ingredients.
Step 16
In the same wok where you cooked the pork belly, add a small amount of the Mala Xiang Guo sauce. Use this flavorful sauce instead of oil to stir-fry the vegetables; it will infuse them with incredible flavor.
Step 17
Add the denser ingredients, potato and lotus root, first. Stir-fry them until the potatoes are cooked through. Start with high heat and then reduce to medium-low to ensure they cook evenly.
Step 18
Once the potatoes and lotus root are partially cooked, add the soaked Chinese glass noodles, fu zhu, and wood ear mushrooms. Toss gently to combine, allowing the noodles to absorb some of the sauce.
Step 19
Now, add all the remaining ingredients (bok choy, rice cakes, sausages, enoki mushrooms) along with the reserved cooked pork belly. Pour in the remaining Mala Xiang Guo sauce. Stir-fry everything together, tossing to coat all the ingredients evenly with the sauce.
Step 20
Finally, taste the dish and adjust the seasoning if needed by adding more Mala Xiang Guo sauce or a dash of oyster sauce. Remember, the Haidilao sauce is quite salty, so add it incrementally. Once the noodles and all ingredients are tender and well-coated, your delicious homemade Mala Xiang Guo is ready to be enjoyed!
