“””Shabu-shabu”” is a popular hot pot or Nabe dish for both children and adults. It is the most fancied hot pot dish in Japan as well as Sukiyaki.
This popular Japanese-style hot pot, where meat and vegetables are cooked in a flavorful broth called kombu- dashi, is now creating fans all over the world. The charm of this dish is that it is very healthy, it is one of the quickest and easiest hot pot dishes to make, and above all, it is delicious. It is not difficult to prepare as all you have to do is to cut the ingredients and boil them.
Everyone around the table can participate in the cooking, making the table fun, and in Japan it is said that eating hot pot together can make them closer. Please enjoy shabu-shabu at your home parties!”
The name “”shabu-shabu”” is a Japanese onomatopoeia. It comes from the sound made when vegetables or meat are grabbed with chopsticks and “”shabu-shabu”” (*swish-swish in English-speaking countries) into a pot of hot water. Everyone sits around the pot at the table and eats while cooking together. The image is similar to fondue, where people eat while chatting.”
Let’s start with a basic shabu-shabu recipe made with standard ingredients.
Shabu-shabu can be made from water, but you can also use dashi broth for a more delicious and deeper flavor.
I will also show you how to make Kombu Dashi, which is perfect for Shabu Shabu broth, but if you are busy, please use Dashi-no-moto or Men-tsuyu diluted with hot water.
1.Put the kombu in the water and let it soak for about 30 minutes.
*This process is recommended to make better broth .
2. after about 30 minutes, turn the pot to low heat and heat slowly until right before boiling when small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pot.
3.Turn off the heat right before boiling, take out the kombu, and the soup is ready.
Prepare the ingredients and add them.
4.Cut the ingredients into thin slices so that they can be easily cooked.
*It is recommended to cut them thinly so that the slice becomes large.
5.Add the vegetables in the following order: carrots, Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, and finally tofu.
6.When the vegetables are cooked and the tofu has risen to the top, add the meat and heat them while skimming the dark foam off on the surface.
You can add only half the amount of vegetables you cut up to enjoy the texture, and add the rest of them along the way!
”
As long as the meat is thinly sliced, either beef or pork can be used. You can also try lamb as an alternative.
Thinly sliced rice cakes and Camembert cheese can also be added as unusual ingredients.
Trying out different ingredients is one of the best parts of shabu-shabu, so try them all!
*The biggest difference between Japan and other countries is the quality of the meat. In Japan, you can get thinly sliced meat at a reasonable price in supermarkets, but in other countries, it might be difficult. If you have a well-stocked Japanese supermarket nearby, you may be able to get it there.
”
This is a refreshing way to taste the flavor of the ingredients. It is a big classic, but you can’t go wrong with it. If it is your first time to try shabu-shabu, try ponzu first.
The sesame sauce often found in supermarkets is rich in flavor and aroma as the rich sesame gets mixed with the meat and vegetables.
Grated daikon radish is recommended as a topping for ponzu. It is also delicious mixed with chili peppers, which is called grated momiji daikon radish.
You can add a little grated garlic to the sesame sauce to give it more flavor.
A little bit of sesame oil added to the ponzu sauce will give it a Chinese flavor.”
Contents
What is shabu-shabu?
The name “”shabu-shabu”” is a Japanese onomatopoeia. It comes from the sound made when vegetables or meat are grabbed with chopsticks and “”shabu-shabu”” (*swish-swish in English-speaking countries) into a pot of hot water. Everyone sits around the pot at the table and eats while cooking together. The image is similar to fondue, where people eat while chatting.”
Reasons for its popularity
Easy to prepare
There are many delicious hot pots, but “”shabu-shabu”” is as popular as sukiyaki. All you have to do is put kombu in an clay pot filled with water and heat it, buy the meat for shabu-shabu, take it out of the container, and chop the vegetables. It is ready to eat 15 minutes after you start cooking at the kitchen. This quick and easy recipe is the best thing about it!No mistakes! It tastes good no matter who makes it!
Unlike other hot pot, shabu-shabu does not require you to decide on the taste of the soup or broth. And you can eat it with the sauce of your choice, so there is no need to make mistakes in seasoning. If you buy high quality meat, it is the same as if you were eating at a fancy restaurant. Even if you have never cooked before, you can easily get close to the taste of a professional. There is no limit to the variety of tare (dipping sauce) you can use, but I think you should prepare two standard types of sauce: ponzu and sesame sauce.Healthy and well-balanced nutrition
The reason why this dish attracted attention from around the world is that it is a healthy dish. Extra fat is removed from meat by hot water, and vegetables are boiled, which gets them smaller and easier to eat. Shabu-shabu is healthier than other dishes, even if you eat too much, and you can take in plenty of vegetables, which tend to be lacking. Easy, tasty, and healthy! That’s the reason why shabu-shabu is so popular.”How to make and eat shabu-shabu
Let’s start with a basic shabu-shabu recipe made with standard ingredients.
Shabu-shabu can be made from water, but you can also use dashi broth for a more delicious and deeper flavor.
I will also show you how to make Kombu Dashi, which is perfect for Shabu Shabu broth, but if you are busy, please use Dashi-no-moto or Men-tsuyu diluted with hot water.
Ingredients for two people
Pork (for Shabu-Shabu) 200g 1/2 Chinese cabbage 1/2 carrot 1 leek 3 shiitake mushrooms 1/2 tofu 800ml broth To make kombu dashi 800ml water 10g dashi kombuLet’s make the soup!
1.Put the kombu in the water and let it soak for about 30 minutes.
*This process is recommended to make better broth .
2. after about 30 minutes, turn the pot to low heat and heat slowly until right before boiling when small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pot.
3.Turn off the heat right before boiling, take out the kombu, and the soup is ready.
Prepare the ingredients and add them.
4.Cut the ingredients into thin slices so that they can be easily cooked.
*It is recommended to cut them thinly so that the slice becomes large.
5.Add the vegetables in the following order: carrots, Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, and finally tofu.
6.When the vegetables are cooked and the tofu has risen to the top, add the meat and heat them while skimming the dark foam off on the surface.
You can add only half the amount of vegetables you cut up to enjoy the texture, and add the rest of them along the way!
”
Tips for eating well
Skimming the dark foam off frequently.
The dark foam or scum is a mixture of the odor and bitterness of meat and vegetables. If left unattended, it will migrate to the ingredients and interfere with the original flavor of shabu-shabu, so it is recommended to remove it as soon as you notice it.Do not overcook the meat
Try not to overcook the meat. If it is beef, dip it in the broth a few times and when it turns pink, it is ready to eat. Pork should be cooked in the broth longer than beef, and is ready to eat when it is fully cooked. If you are conscious of the cooking time, you can enjoy the tender and moist texture of the meat.Do not boil kombu broth when making it
If you boil kombu too much, the stickiness component will dissolve and the unique flavor of kombu will be lost. The key to making a good broth is to turn off the heat right before the kombu comes to a boil! When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pot, it is a sign that the water is just about to boil.Take it out quickly!”Recommended meat for shabu-shabu.
As long as the meat is thinly sliced, either beef or pork can be used. You can also try lamb as an alternative.
Thinly sliced rice cakes and Camembert cheese can also be added as unusual ingredients.
Trying out different ingredients is one of the best parts of shabu-shabu, so try them all!
*The biggest difference between Japan and other countries is the quality of the meat. In Japan, you can get thinly sliced meat at a reasonable price in supermarkets, but in other countries, it might be difficult. If you have a well-stocked Japanese supermarket nearby, you may be able to get it there.
”
Types of dipping sauces
Ponzu
This is a refreshing way to taste the flavor of the ingredients. It is a big classic, but you can’t go wrong with it. If it is your first time to try shabu-shabu, try ponzu first.
Gomadare (sesame sauce)
The sesame sauce often found in supermarkets is rich in flavor and aroma as the rich sesame gets mixed with the meat and vegetables.
Grated daikon radish (a little extra arrangement)
Grated daikon radish is recommended as a topping for ponzu. It is also delicious mixed with chili peppers, which is called grated momiji daikon radish.
Grated garlic ( a little extra arrangement )
You can add a little grated garlic to the sesame sauce to give it more flavor.
Sesame oil.(a little extra arrangement)
A little bit of sesame oil added to the ponzu sauce will give it a Chinese flavor.”
