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Unfortunately, the Bay Area is back in lockdown again and we have been advised to limit leaving our homes except for essential outings like buying groceries. So, I guess it is back to hoarding the essentials again* which for me means loading up my freezer with my favorite frozen dumplings: Bibigo Beef & Vegetable Mandu. I have absolutely no shame in incorporating these super convenient and legitimately delicious frozen dumplings into my pantry meals; they are comforting and satisfying. And this recipe may be my favorite way to jazz them up so far!

For this recipe, I developed my own Sichuan-inspired chili oil! I really really love that numbing sensation that comes from the Sichuan peppercorns, so my chili oil is a reflection of that love. You will feel a lingering tingling sensation in your tongue for sure! If you are not used to this mala experience, you may want to cut down on the amount of peppercorns in your chili oil. Also, you will want to incorporate the chili oil into the sesame sauce to your taste. I used almost the full recipe of oil to a full pack of mandu, but it is possible that you will have some chili oil left over, which you can store an air-tight jar to spice up other noodles or dumplings later.

* Remember: hoard dumplings, NOT toilet paper. Trust me, you’ll be happier.

Ingredients For the chili oil

2 tbsp coarse gochugaru
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
4 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
2 star anise
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup avocado oil

Ingredients for the sesame sauce

2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste, stirred
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp black vinegar

And to assemble

16 Bibigo Beef & Vegetable Mandu
2–3 baby bok choy mui, bases removed
1 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Procedure

In a heat-proof bowl, combine gochugaru, garlic, scallions, and salt. In a small saucepan, combine oil, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise. Heat on medium-low heat until the light parts of the peppercorns begin to turn brown, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait for the peppercorns to turn fully dark brown, about 1 more minute. Carefully pour oil through a fine mesh strainer over the ingredients in the bowl. Stir together and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes to let the flavors integrate and the garlic cook through.

In a separate bowl, whisk together sesame paste and honey. Whisk in soy sauce and black vinegar at a gradual drizzle to prevent the sesame paste from clumping. Then gradually whisk in half of the chili oil mixture. Taste, then continue to add chili oil mixture as desired. (I used almost the full recipe because I like it really numbing spicy!)

Bring a large pot of water to boil, then cook mandu according to the package directions, remove from pot, and set aside. Add baby bok choy mui to the same boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Remove boy choy and plunge in cold water.

Transfer mandu and bok choy to a serving dish. Stir sauce together again and add 1 tablespoon cooking water if desired to make the sauce smoother. Pour sauce over the mandu. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.

Thank you so much to Bibigo USA for sponsoring this recipe! For more recipe ideas and to learn more about their products, visit their website!