Chanko Nabe is one of the classic Japanese hot pot recipes! It's filled with a lot of vegetables and proteins such as fish and meat in a rich dashi broth. This is the best dish you could eat when it's cold in the winter time!
Cut everything into a size you can eat easily. I usually cut something hard to cook into a smaller size. But there is no rule here!
2. To make chicken meatballs (Tsukune)
Use a medium bowl, add ground chicken and knead until it gets sticky.
Add all the ingredients (miso, sake, mirin, soy sauce, salt) to the bowl. Mix everything well.
After mixing well, divide into about 8 portions and shape the balls with your hands or spoon.
3. To make the soup
Use a hot pot and turn the heat to medium. Add water, mirin, sake, soy sauce, torigara soup base, and sugar. Stir well.
Bring to a boil once, then turn the heat to medium-low.
4. Let's make Chanko Nabe
Add the meatballs and thinly sliced pork to the hot pot. And add any ingredients that need time to cook 5-8 minutes before you add any ingredients that cook quickly.*Vegetables or tofu cook more quickly than the meatballs, seafood, and other meats.
In order to cook well, use a lid.
After 5-8 minutes, open the lid and then use a fine-mesh skimmer to get rid of any fat and foam.
Add the remaining ingredients (such as Shiitake, Enoki mushroom, scallion, bean sprouts, baby bokchoy, napa cabbage, carrot and tofu). If you can't fit everything at once, you can always add more after your initial serving.
Put the lid back on and cook for 13 minutes. *1
Let's eat!
We usually serve by putting the hot pot in the middle of the table and having everyone serve themselves.
Notes
*1 it depends on what ingredients you use, but in my case it was 13 minutes until all the ingredients were cooked and ready to serve!