Mala xiang guo, which roughly translates to numbing-spicy fragrant pot, is the dry cousin of hot pot and one of the most popular dishes in modern Sichuan. Everything gets stir-fried together in a wok with a fiercely seasoned paste, rather than cooked at the table, and the name is a promise: numbing, spicy, and fragrant all at once. It started as a street food in the 1990s and has spread to every corner of China.
The dry hot pot that clears out your fridge
The beauty is that it accepts almost anything: chicken, shrimp, lotus root, potatoes, and greens all work, as long as they are cut small and cooked until the edges turn crisp. The doubanjiang and peppercorn coating makes every ingredient taste like the best thing in the pot, and it is endlessly adaptable to whatever is in your fridge. It is loud, messy, and exactly the kind of dinner that makes a kitchen feel alive.
Craving more? Explore all Sichuan Kitchen recipes.
Want the full story on the sauces behind this dish? See our Beginner’s Guide to Asian Sauces & Seasonings.
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