Mala noodles: 59 Photos & Videos
Mala Xiang Guo - Spicy Sichuan, Stirfry! photo images
FAQ
What Is Mala? Mala is the traditional flavor of Szechuan cuisine in China. The main ingredient is Szechuan pepper (hua jiao), which has a spicy-numb flavor when simmered with other spices together in oil. The word 'mala' is derived from 2 Chinese words: 'ma' (麻), which means 'to numb' and 'la' (辣), which means 'spicy'.
Mala is a spicy and numbing seasoning made from Sichuan peppercorn and chilli. Most commonly, mala is made into a sauce (麻辣醬 málàjiàng) by simmering it in oil and other spices.
The spicy-and-numbing hotpot soup is made from loads of chilies, Sichuan pepper, doubanjiang and numerable other aromatics and spices that is cooked down with oil into a spice base. That base is then mixed with a broth—usually a pork and/or beef broth, but chicken is also good.
Mix roasted sesame paste, soy sauce, black vinegar, and hot water for the sesame paste. Mix everything till smooth. Combine the sesame paste and chili sauce, and that's it! Drizzle the sauce on top of the blanched ingredients, and enjoy!
How Is Mala Made? The mala Sichuan version typically includes Sichuan pepper, bean paste, garlic, ginger, chili oil, cinnamon, star anise, black cardamom, and fennel. These seasonings are ground into a seasoning mix. For the sauce version, they're also cooked in a pan with oil until the desired consistency is achieved.