Mala Xiang Guo (Dry Spicy Pot)
麻辣香锅
A customizable dry stir-fry with your choice of proteins and vegetables in a fiery, numbing sauce. Hot pot's stir-fried cousin.
📋 Ingredients
What Is Mala Xiang Guo (Dry Spicy Pot)?
💡 Ingredient Notes: Mala Xiang Guo (麻辣香锅, má là xiāng guō) is essentially dry hot pot — instead of simmering in broth, your choice of proteins and vegetables are stir-fried in a fierce, numbing-spicy sauce until every piece is coated. Originating in Beijing but with Sichuan flavors, this dish is customizable: you pick your ingredients, they cook it with the signature mala sauce, and you eat it over rice. It's spicy, aromatic (香), numbing (麻), and intensely satisfying. Popular at food courts across China.
Ingredients You'll Need
Proteins (pick 2-3)
- 200g shrimp, peeled
- 200g sliced beef or chicken
- 100g fish balls
- 2 sausages, sliced
Vegetables (pick 3-4)
- 150g lotus root, sliced thin
- 150g broccoli florets
- 100g tofu skin (腐竹), soaked
- 100g wood ear mushrooms, soaked
- 1 potato, sliced thin
- 100g enoki mushrooms
The Sauce
- 2 tbsp mala hot pot base (麻辣香锅底料)
- 10 dried red chilies
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- Cilantro for garnish
📝 Instructions
Blanch everything
Blanch each vegetable and protein in boiling water separately until just partially cooked — lotus root and potato 2 minutes, broccoli 1 minute, tofu skin 1 minute, shrimp 30 seconds. Drain well. This step ensures even cooking later.
Toast the aromatics
Heat oil in a large wok over LOW heat. Add dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Toast gently for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and darkened. Don't burn. Add garlic and ginger.
Add the mala base
Add the mala hot pot base. Stir-fry for 1 minute until the oil turns deep red and the aroma fills the kitchen.
Stir-fry everything
Crank heat to high. Add all blanched ingredients. Stir-fry vigorously for 3-4 minutes — every piece should be coated in the spicy sauce. Add soy sauce and sugar.
Serve
Transfer to a large bowl. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with steamed rice — you'll need it to handle the heat.
💡 Pro Tips
- 💡Blanch ingredients first — this ensures everything cooks evenly in the quick stir-fry. Raw potato would burn before cooking through.
- 💡The mala base does the heavy lifting — find '麻辣香锅底料' at Asian markets. It contains all the spices.
- 💡Customize freely — use whatever proteins and vegetables you like. That's the point of this dish.
📊 Nutrition Facts
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from hot pot? Hot pot is wet (simmered in broth); mala xiang guo is dry (stir-fried). Same flavors, different technique. Mala xiang guo is more concentrated and intense.
