Okay, so “menu mala” – sounds fancy, right? It’s actually pretty simple, and I wanted to see if I could pull it off at home. I’m no chef, but I do love spicy food, so this seemed like a fun challenge.
First, I gathered all the stuff I needed. I already had most of the spices, thankfully. The biggest thing was finding Sichuan peppercorns. I went to a couple of Asian grocery stores before I finally found some. I also picked up some dried chilies, because, well, you can’t have mala without the heat!
Prepping Everything
- I chopped up a bunch of veggies – you know, the usual suspects: onions, garlic, ginger.
- Then I got some mushrooms, some tofu (the firm kind, so it doesn’t fall apart), and some thinly sliced beef. You can really use whatever you want, though.
- The key, I think, is to cut everything into bite-sized pieces so it cooks evenly.
Making the Sauce
This is where the magic happens. I toasted the Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies in a dry pan for a bit. Just until they started to smell really fragrant. Be careful not to burn them!
Then, I ground them up using a mortar and pestle. You could use a spice grinder, but I like the old-school way. It’s kind of therapeutic.
I mixed the ground spices with some chili bean paste (doubanjiang), soy sauce, a little bit of sugar, and some other spices I had lying around. I’m not gonna lie, I kinda winged it with the proportions. I just kept tasting and adjusting until it tasted right to me.
Putting It All Together
I heated up some oil in my wok (a big pan works too) and stir-fried the veggies for a few minutes. Then I added the beef and cooked it until it was browned.
Next, I threw in the tofu and mushrooms, and finally, I poured in the sauce. I let everything simmer for a bit, so the flavors could all meld together. The smell was amazing!
The Final Result
I served it up with some rice. It was definitely spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. The Sichuan peppercorns give it this unique tingling sensation – that’s the “ma” part of “mala.” It was a success! I’m definitely making this again. It takes a little bit time and patience, but absolutely it is worth to do.
