Chanko Nabe is one of the unique dishes in Japanese cuisine. A dish with a rich culture from a long time ago, passed down to today. What could be better than an evening of family gathering at the warm and fragrant Chanko Nabe pot? Did you find it attractive? Let's explore the Chanko Nabe recipe that KITCHENBAR loves very much!
What is Chanko Nabe?
Chanko Nabe is a kind of Japanese nabe (hot pot), I think it is similar to stew (but with added broth). Traditionally, it is eaten by sumo wrestlers in Japan and is often served in large quantities as part of a weight gain diet for sumo wrestlers. They eat this meal quite often with different ingredients. The feature of this hotpot is that there is no specific "recipe". And unlike other Japanese hot pot meals, meat, seafood, vegetables and pretty much anything can be put into a hot pot. Chanko means "a meal" eaten by sumo wrestlers. There are several different theories about the origin of the name "chanko".
One of the theories is that Chan is a dear name to call Oyakata, or a retired sumo wrestler coach (from To-chan or dad). And is not derived from kodomo or a child or a student (deshi). So chanko stands for a meal shared by the sumo coach and his students. You can use chanko in a sentence like "Today's Chanko is Gyudon".
How to Prepare the Delicious Broth for Chanko Nabe?
The broth for Chanko Nabe recipe is usually a dashi or chicken broth, seasoned with sake and mirin for added flavor. For good luck before the game, they will not use beef and pork bones for soup as quadruped animals represent defeat in sumo wrestling (unable to touch the ground with any part of the muscle. outside the soles of the feet). You can use them as ingredients, but not for broths. There are many different flavors added to the broth. The most popular options are:
- Miso
- Salt
- Soy sauce
- Kimchi
Today's recipe is with miso and we recommend using white miso for its mild, creamy flavor.
The Ultimate Chanko Nabe Recipe
Ingredient:
Directions: Step by Step
Cook udon in a pot of moderate boiling brine following the package directions. Convert the udon to the pot to drain; store cooking liquid in the pot. Transfer udon into a large bowl and mix with 1 tbsp. oil.
If using eggs, cover the pot and boil the cooking liquid. Add eggs and cook on low boiling until soft, about 6 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a large bowl of ice to cool, then peel and set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons. oil in a large pot on medium-high. Stir fry mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon. salt until light brown and moisture evaporation, about 5 minutes. Sauté garlic and ginger; cook until fragrant, 30–60 seconds. Stir in the miso, then add the chicken broth. Stir the kombu, if used, the soy sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon. Salt. Cover the pot, simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Add meatballs and carrots. Cover the pot and continue to simmer until the meatballs are just cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove the kombu from the broth and discard it.
Add choy sum and vinegar and stir well if used. Place the fish on top of the stew pot, then cover and cook for 3 minutes. Gently add the shrimp (try to avoid breaking the fish) and cook, cover until the shrimp is pink and the fish is cloudy and cook for about 3 minutes.
Divide the broth into the bowls. Cut eggs lengthwise and place 2 halves on top of each bowl. Sprinkle with green onion. Put udon noodles in a large bowl to share.
Some Additional Tips
To make your Chanko Nabe recipe more delicious and perfect, KITCHENBAR would like to suggest a few tips like these:
- You can find Kombu (dried kelp) at international and health food grocery stores and also online. It can be used to flavor broths, dashi, soups like miso and ramen, and to soften beans and make them easier to digest.
- The clay pot is ideal as it holds heat very well. If using a cooking pot, use a shallow pot that is at least 10cm/4 ”deep but not too deep. If the pot is too deep, it will be difficult to take the food out of the pot.
- If you don't have a portable stove to cook Chanko Nabe at the table, you can cook it on the stove and serve it when all the ingredients are cooked.
- After eating all the ingredients, you can add noodles to finish the meal. Since the broth is made from chicken, udon or ramen noodles are the best choice. Another way is to add cooked rice and make Zōsui.
- To present this dish in an orthodox way, place it on a portable stove at a very low temperature in the middle of the table, giving guests separate bowls.
- You can make fresh dashi broth by soaking a bag of dashi in boiling water (depending on the amount of broth remaining in the pot, add 300ml-500ml or more) in case you're still hungry after eating most of the ingredients. Place the broth in a low heat pot, then cook the udon noodles or add the rice and whipped egg to cook. When ingredients are still hot, scoop into a bowl, sprinkle minced onion flowers on top.
Final Words
With this recipe, KITCHENBAR hopes to share with you the Chanko Nabe recipe that we love so much. Try this recipe on a family weekend. Don't forget to share the results with KITCHENBAR, we look forward to your feedback!
Ingredients
Directions
Cook udon in a pot of moderate boiling brine following the package directions. Convert the udon to the pot to drain; store cooking liquid in the pot. Transfer udon into a large bowl and mix with 1 tbsp. oil.
If using eggs, cover the pot and boil the cooking liquid. Add eggs and cook on low boiling until soft, about 6 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a large bowl of ice to cool, then peel and set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons. oil in a large pot on medium-high. Stir fry mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon. salt until light brown and moisture evaporation, about 5 minutes. Sauté garlic and ginger; cook until fragrant, 30–60 seconds. Stir in the miso, then add the chicken broth. Stir the kombu, if used, the soy sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon. Salt. Cover the pot, simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Add meatballs and carrots. Cover the pot and continue to simmer until the meatballs are just cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove the kombu from the broth and discard it.
Add choy sum and vinegar and stir well if used. Place the fish on top of the stew pot, then cover and cook for 3 minutes. Gently add the shrimp (try to avoid breaking the fish) and cook, cover until the shrimp is pink and the fish is cloudy and cook for about 3 minutes.
Divide the broth into the bowls. Cut eggs lengthwise and place 2 halves on top of each bowl. Sprinkle with green onion. Put udon noodles in a large bowl to share.