Ingredients

• Shrimp 200g, peeled
• Chicken thigh or beef 200g, sliced
• Firm tofu or fish balls 150g
• Lotus root 1 section, sliced
• Potato 1, sliced
• Cauliflower or broccoli 150g
• Wood ear mushrooms a handful, soaked
• Celery 2 stalks, cut
• Onion ½, cut
• Doubanjiang (chili bean paste) 2 tbsp
• Dried chilies 10–15, snipped
• Sichuan peppercorns 1 tbsp
• Garlic 5 cloves, smashed
• Ginger 1 thumb, sliced
• Scallions 2, cut
• Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
• Sugar 1 tsp
• Neutral oil 4 tbsp
• White sesame + cilantro to garnish

Steps

1. Prep everything: slice proteins and veggies uniformly. Blanch potato, lotus root and cauliflower 2 min in boiling water; drain well (dry ingredients = dry, fragrant pot).
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok; sear shrimp and chicken/beef until just cooked; remove. Lightly fry tofu until golden; remove.
3. Add remaining oil over medium-low; fry Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies 30 sec until fragrant (don’t burn). Add doubanjiang, garlic, ginger; fry 1 min until oil turns red.
4. Turn heat to high. Add onion, celery and blanched veggies; stir-fry 2 min.
5. Return proteins and tofu; add soy sauce and sugar; toss hard 2–3 min so everything is coated and dry-fragrant, not soupy.
6. Finish with scallions, white sesame and cilantro. Serve sizzling, with rice.