Fuzhu (Dried Bean Curd) Mala Xiang Guo

Quick answer

Total time: 135 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

This spicy stir-fry features chewy fuzhu and crisp vegetables tossed in a numbing mala sauce.

The dried bean curd skin is soaked in lukewarm water with a pinch of salt for at least two hours, giving it a soft, sponge-like structure that absorbs the savory sauce. To prepare the dish, minced garlic and dried chilies are sautéed in oil, followed by thinly sliced pork belly cooked on high heat until the fat renders. The rehydrated fuzhu and firm cabbage and bok choy stalks are added next, coated in the mala sauce, and stir-fried quickly. In the final seconds, bean sprouts and leafy greens are tossed in for less than thirty seconds to keep their crisp texture, creating a contrast with the chewy bean curd. Ingredients like fish balls or sliced lotus root can be added for extra texture.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

Dried fuzhu100 gg

Thinly sliced pork belly200 gg

Bok choy2 headsheads

Napa cabbage3 leavesleaves

Bean sprouts100 gg

Mala xiang guo sauce80 gg

Minced garlic1 tbsptbsp

Dried chilies5 piecespieces

Shop All Ingredients

As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Soak 100g dried fuzhu in lukewarm water (40°C) for at least 2 hours until fully rehydrated and pliable, then cut into 5cm bite-sized pieces.
2

Prep

Rinse 2 heads bok choy, 3 napa cabbage leaves, and 100g bean sprouts under cold running water, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Separate firm stalks from tender leaves.
3

Control

Heat a wok over high heat, add 2 tbsp oil, then stir-fry 1 tbsp minced garlic and 5 dried chilies for 30 seconds until the oil is fragrant and the chilies begin to darken.
4

Control

Add 200g thinly sliced pork belly and stir-fry over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the surface is golden and the fat has fully rendered out.
5

Control

Add rehydrated fuzhu, cabbage stalks, and bok choy stalks, then pour in 80g mala xiang guo sauce.

Stir-fry vigorously over high heat for 2 minutes until the sauce coats every piece evenly.
6

Finish

Add bean sprouts and all leafy greens, then toss quickly for no more than 30 seconds until just wilted.

Remove from heat immediately and serve in a bowl while hot.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Fuzhu Mala Xiang Guo stir-fry highlights rehydrated bean curd skin and numbing chili sauce.
Finish cue: Add 200g thinly sliced pork belly and stir-fry over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the surface is golden and the fat has fully rendered out.