Ma la xiang guo is a spicy, savoury stir-fry originating from Chongqing in China. It is packed with ma la (numbing spicy) flavour and it’s the perfect way to give a grab bag of leftovers or post-Christmas specials a new lease of life.
At ma la xiang guo restaurants all over the world, you select from arrays of cooked and raw meats; seafood; vegetables; noodles and starches; choose your spice level then hand it over to the chef (and prepare to have your mind blown). The heavy seasoning effectively blankets any flavours from the individual ingredients, resulting a cohesive and flavourful dish.
This dish is typically seasoned with dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns and chilli broad bean paste (doubanjiang) along with an easy shortcut paste known as hotpot base. Along with a handful of fragrant spices, these are ingredients I happen to always have in my pantry. I’ve made some adjustments to the traditional recipe for convenience.
Choose pre-cooked meat and seafood cut into 4 to 5cm pieces, along with vegetables of your choosing for crunch. I threw in slices of smoky Christmas ham, cold braised lamb and cooked prawns, then raided my fridge for vegetables leftover from over-catering Christmas. I ended up with wilted gem lettuce, zucchini, celery and radishes – all crunchy, fresh and delicious even when stir-fried.
The quantities for this recipe are really a guide, use whatever you like, but try to select a range of textures for a fun eating experience. Lots of hot steamed rice is non-negotiable – you’ll need it to cool the burn.
Christmas leftover ma la xiang guo
Prep 15 mins
Cook 10 mins
Serves Four to six, with rice
125mL cooking oil
8-10 dried chillies, Sichuan chillies preferable
1 tbsp whole Sichuan peppercorns
1 star anise
2 bay leaves
4 slices ginger, skin on
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 fresh red chillies, sliced into diamonds
3 tbsp doubanjiang chilli bean sauce, available at supermarkets and Asian grocers
100g hotpot base optional, but recommended
1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp caster sugar
300g leftover cooked meat turkey, ham, chicken, etc, shredded or cut into bite-size pieces
100g cooked seafood prawns, clams, oysters, lobster, etc, cut into bite-size pieces
100g leafy greens lettuce, cabbage, kale, etc, cut into bite-size pieces
100g crunchy vegetables radish, celery, onions, cauliflower, etc, cut into bite-size pieces
Optional additional extras – hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, fried/roast potatoes etc.
2 stalks spring onion sliced into 4cm pieces
½ bunch coriander cut into 4cm pieces
Chilli oil to serve
Turn your extractor fan on full blast and crank open a window, because you’re about to cook chilli at scorching heat.
Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat until shimmering. Ensure your cooking vessel is large enough to fit all the ingredients with space to spare.
Add the dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaf and star anise. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the ginger slices, fresh chillies and garlic, stir-fry on high heat for 10 to 20 seconds. Add the hotpot base (if using), doubanjiang, chicken bouillon, oyster sauce, soy sauce and caster sugar and fry on medium heat until the oil separates.
Add your ingredients one at a time, and give each time to properly fry before adding the next batch. If you overcrowd your wok or frying pan, you’ll end up stewing your ingredients. Stir-fry over high heat after each addition – the wok should be sizzling, not steaming.
Stir-fry over high heat for two to three minutes after all the ingredients are added. Stir through the spring onion and coriander stalks, and additional chilli oil if you like.
Serve with rice and eat immediately.