Mala tang

Method

1. 1 Sauté the soybean paste with Sichuan peppercorns in oil for 3 minutes, then pour in the chicken broth and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. 2 Mala tang differs from hot pot in that each bowl is cooked separately and then served, rather than being in a shared pot in the middle of the table.
3. 3 Filter the water until it's clear, then keep it simmering.
4. 4 Add the ingredients in order of how long they take to cook first: tofu and fish balls, cooked for 5 minutes.
5. 5 Add the Chinese cabbage and enoki mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes, then add the beef slices and cook for 40 seconds.
6. 6 Scoop everything into a bowl, then pour in the crushed roasted sesame sauce and hot broth.

With an appliance

• Microwave 42 min

  Replace steps 4–5: toss the tofu and fish balls in the broth at 800 W for 4 minutes, add the cabbage and mushrooms for 90 seconds, then the beef slices for 30 seconds at 600 W; reduce to about 1 minute, ensuring each ingredient receives the correct amount of heat, the beef is tender, and you don't have to stand and pick it up from the boiling pot. Step 1 continues to sauté the soy sauce and Sichuan peppercorns on the stovetop to extract the fragrant red oil.