Szechuan Mala Broth
A numbing-spicy bone broth base for hot pot, malatang, and Szechuan-style soups, built on doubanjiang, dried chilies, and Szechuan peppercorns.
Use foundational pork or beef bone broth from foundational bone broths. The layered work is frying/ch blooming the mala paste and infusing the stock you already have.
Ingredients
- 2.5–3 L foundational pork or beef bone broth
- 44 mL doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste)
- 20–30 dried facing heaven chilies (to taste)
- 15 mL Szechuan peppercorns, toasted
- 1 onion, chopped; 4 cloves garlic; 1 knob ginger, sliced
- 30 mL neutral oil for frying paste
Method
- Warm foundational broth in its pot; keep it below a hard boil while you bloom spices.
- In a separate pan, fry doubanjiang in oil until fragrant; add chilies and peppercorns briefly.
- Scrape the spice mixture into the broth; add onion, garlic, and ginger; simmer 30–60 minutes.
- Strain; adjust salt and heat. Dilute for hot pot or reduce for dipping.
- Store oil cap separately if you want a cleaner soup the next day.