Ingredients:

  • 8 cups High-Quality Chicken Stock (or Vegetable Stock)
  • 4 Tbsp Malatang Base Paste/Hot Pot Concentrate
  • 2 inches sliced Ginger
  • 6 cloves smashed Garlic
  • 2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
  • 1 tsp Rock Sugar (or Granulated Sugar)
  • 1/2 cup Neutral Oil (e.g., Canola, Grapeseed)
  • 2 Tbsp Sichuan Peppercorns (Red preferred)
  • 1/4 cup Dried Chili Flakes (or whole dried red chilis like Tianjin)
  • 4 pods Star Anise
  • 2 leaves Bay Leaves
  • 400g (14 oz) mixed Proteins (thinly sliced beef, pork belly, fish balls, tofu pieces)
  • 500g (1.1 lb) mixed Hard Vegetables (Lotus root, potato, thick cabbage wedges, winter melon)
  • 300g (10.5 oz) mixed Soft Vegetables & Greens (Bean sprouts, spinach, Napa cabbage leaves, enoki mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms)
  • 300g Noodles (fresh ramen, instant ramen, or vermicelli)
  • Chopped spring onions (for garnish)
  • Fresh coriander/cilantro (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Ingredients: Wash and prepare all proteins and vegetables. Slice hard vegetables into thin, uniform pieces. Keep ingredients grouped by cooking time. If using dried noodles, soak them in warm water according to package directions to soften them slightly.
  2. Create the Aromatic Mala Oil: Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili flakes, star anise, and bay leaves. Gently fry the spices for 5–7 minutes, keeping the heat low to avoid burning the chili flakes. Once infused, strain the hot oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl and set the infused oil aside.
  3. Build and Simmer the Broth: In the large stockpot, add 2 tablespoons of the prepared Mala Oil. Add the sliced ginger and smashed garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Pour in the chicken stock, Malatang base paste, soy sauce, and rock sugar. Bring the broth to a gentle rolling simmer for 10 minutes to deepen the flavor. Taste and adjust salt/sugar, and add more of the reserved Mala Oil gradually until the desired level of heat and numbness is reached.
  4. Cook the Ingredients: Maintain the broth at a steady simmer. Cook ingredients in batches: First, hard root vegetables (3–5 minutes); Second, meat, fish balls, and noodles (1–2 minutes); Third, leafy greens and mushrooms (30–60 seconds). Use a fine-mesh sieve or strainer to manage batches.
  5. Assemble and Serve: Carefully lift the cooked ingredients out of the broth, draining well, and divide them into four large serving bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the prepared ingredients until everything is submerged. Garnish generously with spring onions and coriander. Serve immediately.