Nabe Hot Pot At Home. Here’s How-To.

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You may wonder…

What is nabe? 

Nabe is a Japanese styled hot pot. This Kimchi nabe (hot pot) is one version that’s infused with Korean ingredients. It’s super easy to make at home! 

What is hot pot?

Hot pot is a meal where a soup base is being simmered in a pot on a cooktop throughout on a dining table and you can just cook the bite-size raw food in the boiling broth and enjoy it when cooked with dipping sauce. There are many different styles, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.

How to make nabe?

It's quite easy.

Here’s the kimchi nabe recipe.

First, make the hot pot soup base.

Here’s the ingredients for soup base:

• Anchovy Soup Stock Sachet 1
• Kimchi 1lb
• Sesame Oil 1 tbsp 
• Pork Belly, sliced 1lb
• Onion ½  
• Sake 1 tbsp - any sake you can find in grocery store or liquor store
• Gochujang (Korean Chili Paste) 1 tbsp  
• Gochugaru (Korean Pepper Flakes) 1 tsp
• Sugar 1 tbsp
• Soy Sauce 1 tbsp
• Miso 1 tbsp

How to make kimchi nabe hot pot soup base:

1. Make anchovy soup base by boiling a pre-packed soup sachet with 4 cups of water. Once the water boils, turn the fire to low and simmer it for 20 minutes, covered. When done, put it aside.
2. Oil a pot with sesame oil on medium heat.
3. Stir fry sliced pork belly until they turn brown.
4. Add kim chi and any juice from it, then onion. Stir fry for 5 minutes.
5. Add sake and gochujang (Korean chili paste), gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes) and sugar, stir well.
6. Add the dashi you already made, mix well. Then bring it to boil, turn the fire to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Add soy sauce and miso paste, mix well. Taste it and see if you need to add any salt to achieve your desired taste.

Once the soup base is done, you can then put that onto a tabletop stove and put whatever you want to eat in bite size, cook them then enjoy!

Hot pot ingredients for a Kimchi Nabe:

Protein, other than the pork belly that is already in the soup base waiting for you to enjoy ;p

• Firm Tofu

Noodle

• Non-fried Yam Instant Noodles (Usually people use udon but I like instant noodle instead as it's tastier and this is a healthier option that’s super chewy and smooth!)

Veggie

• Napa cabbage 
• Tokyo negi 
• Chives 
• White Beech Mushroom  
• Shimeji Brown Mushroom
• Enoki mushrooms 
• Bean Sprouts 
  

Dipping Sauce 

• Sesame salad dressing - it goes super well with the kimchi nabe taste. 

Hot Pot Equipment:

• Hot Pot Stove - this is the best we used, ultra slim design and great heat output, made in Japan
• Butane Fuel Canister - you need about 2 for each hot pot meal  
• Clay Pot, Japanese styled  - but honestly you can use any pot you like, this is just an idea ;p 
• Hot Pot Spoon Strainers - to scope out the cooked food from the hot pot

One important note: throughout the dinner, add boiling hot water to the soup base whenever half of it boils off. 

Now, it's your turn! 

While you're enjoying the yummy hot pot, and showing it off on social media, don't forget to tag us @thehongkongfoodies so that we can see your version! 

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