Chinese Hot Pot at Home

Hungry for more? This recipes was featured in a podcast episode!

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These are our suggestions for making your own Chinese Hot Pot to enjoy at home! We're not the experts, but hopefully our experience provides a starting point for your own delicious Chinese Hot Pot!

Click the link above and listen to Heather's experience for more tips and hot pot ideas.

Prep Time: ~30 min

Cook time: varies

Yield: 1 pot feeds 4-6

Equipment / tools

• The hot pot -- this can be a Chinese Hot Pot specifically for this purpose, or improvise with a cooking pot (wider and shallower is best here) on a heat source. That may be an electric hot plate (like in the above photo), or a portable stove. You could also use an electric frying pan or wok.

Ingredients

• Soup base: We used a Lee Kum Kee brand Soup Base for Szechuan Hot & Spicy Hot Pot. Choose a flavouring you like (mushroom, seafood, tomato, etc.) or simply start with water.

• A selection of vegetables and meat to cook in the pot. Here's what we included:

  • thinly sliced beef (ask for hot pot beef at a local Asian market butcher counter)

  • frozen shrimp

  • small potato wedges

  • frozen butternut squash (cubed)

  • baby bok choy (halved)

  • broccoli

  • carrot, sliced

  • cremini mushrooms

  • dry wide ramen noodles

  • frozen dumplings

• Small bowls of sauce for each person - allow everyone to get creative and mix together what they like!

  
  

  Sauce suggestions

  Sesame sauce: sesame sauce, scallions, garlic to taste

  or

  Dumpling dipping sauce: dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 tablespoon hot water; add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon chili oil, 1 teaspoon garlic (minced), 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds and ½ teaspoon sesame oil

  
  

Directions

1. Prepare your vegetables by washing, chopping and placing in small bowls/plates.

2. Place your hot plate (or other heat source) in the middle of the table and run an extension cord to an outlet if needed.

3. Set a small plate and utensils (chop sticks or forks) at each place setting.

4. Place a small bowl of sauce at each place setting.

5. Mix the broth according to package directions and heat to a gentle boil. Set the temperature of your pot to maintain that gentle boil throughout your meal.

6. Add one or two items per person to the pot at one time and allow to cook briefly until cooked. Then remove, dip in the sauce and enjoy. Repeat with the next piece of meat or veggie.