Malatang: Ready-to-eat Spicy and numbing Hot Pot 麻辣烫

Malatang is one of those dishes that you either never heard of OR you can’t get enough of. If you are the former, let me enlighten you, Malatang 麻辣烫, is a ready-to-eat version of the Sichuan spicy and numbing (Mala 麻辣)hot pot. Directly translated, it means numbing, spicy, scalding, three very accurate description of what this dish taste like.

If you’ve ever had Chinese hot pot, you know you cook as you eat at the table. With your chosen ingredients in your preferred broth(s). Whereas Malatang comes out in one big pot with all your ingredients already cooked and ready to be devoured.

It is the lazy man’s hot pot and found mostly in small shops and street vendors. If you ever ventures to Sichuan or Chengdu, its capital city, you'll find so many different variations of Malatang…with varying names. Whether the ingredients are skewered or sold by weight, they are all cooked in a spicy and numbing hot pot broth that'll make any spice lover weak at the knees.

The spicy and milky soup base

Authentic Sichuan spicy and numbing broth is made by frying tons of dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, spices, fermented bean chilli sauce in beef fat. It takes a true master to make it balanced and fragrant. Lucky, most of us can take the easier route and pick up a pre-packaged hot pot soup base from the grocery store or online. Some are better than others in terms of potency, you’ll just need to try and find the one that suits your taste.

For this Malatang recipe though, I do like to pump up the flavours by adding additional aromatic and spices. It wakes up a pre-packed soup base, and for those who like strong flavours…well you’ve just got to go that extra mile!

In lieu of the bone broth, milk along with water is added in this recipe to give the soup the desirable richness. And the further addition of the sesame paste increases the depth of flavour and thickens the broth with a nuttiness that works so well. So don’t skimp!

What to cook in your Malatang

Any type of meat, veg, tofu, starches that you like. Some of my favourites are:

- Spam
- Tofu skin
- Seaweed
- Intimation crab meat
- Thinly slices fatty beef
- Beef tripe
- Lotus root
- Potato
- Enoki mushrooms
- Soy bean sprouts
- Wide sweet potato noodles (a must!)

And the list goes on and on. Really, this is a completely customizable meal that differs from person to person. Just know that anything cooked in this spicy and numbing milky broth will be amazing!

The only advice I have here is to cook the ingredient in order of how long each needs. The longest go in first and so on. The noodles last because once you do, the starches thickens the broth and makes cooking other things harder.

How to eat Malatang

Alone. I like to eat this alone. A solitary pleasure that I so enjoy. I can pick whatever ingredients that I fancy, adjust the spice levels to my taste and devour it without worrying about how all those chillies will makes my face look like.

For those who know, you know! An intense, satiating meal like this can offer comfort, sooth wounds and bring deep deep satisfaction.

So go give this a try and report back!