Mala Noodle Soup
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Mala oil
- 100 ml neutral oil rounded
- 25 g dried chili flakes rounded
- 10 g whole Sichuan peppercorns rounded
- 3 star anise rounded
- 20 g fermented broad bean paste, doubanjiang rounded
Soup and toppings
- 800 ml vegetable stock rounded
- 20 ml light soy sauce rounded
- 200 g fresh wheat noodles rounded
- 150 g firm tofu, cut into cubes rounded
- 150 g baby bok choy, halved rounded
- 15 g scallion, thinly sliced rounded
Method
Method
- Heat the neutral oil in a small pot until just warm, not smoking. Add the chili flakes, Sichuan peppercorns and star anise. Let bloom over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil turns deep red and smells toasted rather than raw.
- Stir in the doubanjiang and cook for 1 minute more. Strain the oil into a heatproof bowl, or leave it whole for a spicier, chunkier result; either way, this is the mala oil.
- Bring the stock to a simmer in a separate pot. Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mala oil and the soy sauce. Taste and add more mala oil if you want more heat.
- Bring a second pot of water to a boil. Blanch the bok choy for 1 minute, until just wilted, and set aside. In the same water, cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
- Pan-fry the tofu cubes in a little of the mala oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden on a few sides.
- Divide the noodles between two bowls. Arrange the tofu and bok choy on top. Ladle the hot broth over everything.
- Scatter with scallion and serve immediately, with extra mala oil on the side for anyone who wants it hotter.
Notes
- Bloom the mala oil low and slow, not fast and hot. A gentle 8 to 10 minutes draws the colour and aroma out of the chilies and peppercorns into the oil; oil that’s too hot burns them bitter in a fraction of the time.
- Cook each topping separately and assemble in the bowl rather than simmering everything in one pot. This is what keeps the noodles springy, the bok choy just wilted, and the tofu with a fried edge, instead of everything turning uniformly soft in a shared pot of broth.
- Make extra mala oil. It keeps in the fridge for weeks and is worth having on hand for dumplings, fried rice, or drizzling over almost anything.
- The numbing quality of Sichuan peppercorns fades if they’re old. Buy in small quantities and toast a few whole ones to check their potency before committing a full batch.
Ingredient substitutions
- Sliced beef or pork, quickly seared, is a common addition alongside or instead of the tofu.
- Any leafy green works in place of bok choy, including spinach or napa cabbage.
- Rice noodles work in place of wheat noodles for a gluten-free version.