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Vegetarian malatang
Spicy numbing hot pot
麻辣烫 · Sichuan's pick-your-own numbing chilli hot pot in a bowl, with tofu, mushrooms and noodles
Malatang began on the streets of Leshan and Chengdu as a cheap pot where everything was boiled together, and today it is a lunchtime habit for students and office workers across China: you fill a basket from fridges of skewers and vegetables, and the cook boils it in a numbing, chilli-red broth and hands it back in a big bowl. This home version makes a fully vegan broth from chilli bean paste, dried chillies and Sichuan pepper, with no beef tallow. Choose about six things: tofu puffs, frozen tofu, enoki, wood ear, potato slices, lotus root, greens and sweet potato noodles are classic. The common mistake is to cook everything for the same time; put dense things in first and leafy things last so nothing turns to mush. Chef's tip: a spoonful of sesame paste stirred into each bowl at the end softens the heat and is how many Chengdu shops serve it.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the broth
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp chilli bean paste (doubanjiang)check the label for a vegan one
- 8 dried red chilliessnipped in half, seeds shaken out
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 4 garlic clovessliced
- ½ oz fresh gingersliced
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
To cook in the broth
- 1 potatopeeled, sliced 5 mm thick
- 3 ½ oz lotus rootpeeled, sliced 5 mm thick
- 3 ½ oz fried tofu puffs
- ¼ oz dried wood ear mushroomssoaked in warm water 20 minutes, torn
- 3 ½ oz sweet potato glass noodlessoaked in warm water 20 minutes
- 5 ½ oz enoki mushroomsroot cut off, pulled into clumps
- 7 oz bok choy or other leafy greenshalved or torn
To serve
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (optional)loosened with a little water
- ⅓ oz coriander (optional)chopped
- 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pan over a low-medium heat. Add 2 tbsp chilli bean paste (doubanjiang) and fry, stirring, until the oil turns red and the paste smells rich rather than raw, about 2 minutes. Keep the heat gentle so the paste doesn't scorch and turn bitter.
2 minStep 2: Add 8 dried red chillies, 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, 4 garlic cloves, ½ oz fresh ginger and 1 star anise and stir for 1 minute until the chillies darken slightly and the kitchen smells of pepper.
1 minStep 3: Pour in 5 cups vegetable stock, add 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse, then taste: it should be salty, hot and make your lips tingle. Fish out the star anise.
12 minStep 4: Add 1 potato and 3 ½ oz lotus root and simmer for 5 minutes, until a knife slides into the potato with just a little resistance.
5 minStep 5: Add 3 ½ oz fried tofu puffs, drained ¼ oz dried wood ear mushrooms and drained 3 ½ oz sweet potato glass noodles. Simmer 3 minutes, until the noodles turn clear and soft.
3 minStep 6: Add 5 ½ oz enoki mushrooms and 7 oz bok choy or other leafy greens and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until the greens wilt and turn bright green.
2 minStep 7: Ladle everything with plenty of broth into two big bowls. Swirl in 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste, scatter with ⅓ oz coriander and add a splash of 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar if you like a sour edge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetarian malatang take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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