Donabe Recipe - Kimchi Nabe; Japan's Take on Korean Spicy Stew
With what feels like a non-ending Winter, what can we do to warm up? Why not spice things up a bit (literally) with one of Japan's top donabe recipes; kimchi nabe! It's actually a Japanese spin on a spicy Korean dish. Imagine two wonderful Asian culinary creations, combined in one tantalising dish! Well, no need to imagine; if you have a donabe pot, A.K.A Japanese clay pot then making this dish will be a breeze! If you don't own one, well, don't you fret sunshine as we at ZakZakka have you covered with two authentically designed donabe pots for sale online.
You can choose from the cute cherry blossom rainbow design, or the indigo dahlia design. The indigo design is unique as it uses the ancient Japanese art of indigo dyeing, and the rainbow pot is special as it has the very typical Japanese cherry blossoms on.
Check out my easy-to-follow recipe to make kimchi nabe.
Prep Time Cooking Time Total Time Serves
15 minutes 20 Minutes 35 mins 4
Ingredients For The Broth
1 Tbsp Sake (I found drinking Sake on Sainsburys website, it can be used as a substitute for cooking sake)
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sawanotsuru-japanese-sake-180ml
800ml Chicken stock or chicken soup (have fun and experiment with your favourite soups or stocks)
3 Cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 Tbsp Gochujang Korean chilli paste
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sun-hee-gochujang-sun-dried-red-chilli-paste-170g
1 Tsp Gochugaru Korean pepper flakes (Or substitute with Chilli flakes/powder
1 Tbsp Sesame oil
https://groceries.asda.com/product/cooking-sauces-ingredients/lee-kum-kee-pure-sesame-oil/910002091984
½ Tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 Tbsp miso paste
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/313001146
Other Ingredients
350g Pork belly slices
200g Kimchi
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/vadasz-raw-kimchi-400g
400g Medium-firm tofu
½ head of Chinese leaf cabbage or pak choi
2 Spring onions
170g Bean sprouts
½ Onion
1 pack Enoki mushrooms (from asian supermarket otherwise substitute with your favourite mushrooms)
½ Carrot
2 packs Udon Noodles (or your favourite noodles)
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/276056557
How To
First, wash all your veg. Chop the Chinese leaf cabbage longways twice, then into about 4cm bits. Pop them neatly around the sides of your nabe pot.
Prep and add your other vegetables. Slice the spring onions diagonally, onion from stem to root, cut the base off the enoki mushrooms and separate into easy-to-eat bunches, slice the tofu into 2cm cubes, grate the carrot and slice into 1cm slices. If you have shape cutters, then you can use them to make cute carrot shapes. I like to add the carrots last as decoration. Add the kimchi.
Add the pork in and around the centre of the pot. If the pork is not thin enough, then slice it as thin as possible. I like to add the bean sprouts on top of the pork, and finish off with the cute, flower cut out carrots.
Measure out the sake, miso, soy sauce, garlic paste, chopped garlic, chilli flakes, Korean chilli paste, salt, sugar, sesame oil and your favourite stock. I used a few cubes of Japanese chicken stock and mixed it with boiling water to get 800ml. Check out your supermarket for a chicken stock or soup and make 800ml out of it by adding boiling water. Add all of these ingredients to your nabe.
Place on the hob and simmer at a medium heat for 20 minutes. You can either use your kitchen stove-top or like me, use a portable stove; that way you can sit at the dining room table and enjoy cooking your nabe meal together with your friends and family. Be sure to dish up some broth with the food, but leave a good bit in the nabe pot to cook the noodles.
Once everything has been eaten, return the nabe pot with remaining broth to the stove and on a medium heat, add the udon noodles. Cook for a few minutes and enjoy finishing the delicious broth with some tasty noodles.
So there you have it! Spice up your life with a Japanese hot pot and be sure to treat your new clay pot before using it for the first time by boiling a mixture of water and 1-2 tbsp of flour in it. Allow it to cool then wash and use. If you`re intrigued by the portable stove, then you`ll be happy to know we at ZakZakka are also selling those.
It's useful not just for cooking your nabe dishes on, but fab for other party dates, camping and garden BBQs too! Be sure to get yours whilst stocks last. Itadaki masu!
