Soy Milk Hot Pot

Soy Milk Hot Pot, or as we call it Tonyu Nabe 

Boiling or simmering can cause the soy milk to curdle.  You can reduce curdles by cooking on lower heat (without boiling), but it can’t be avoided from happening completely.

In case you’ve never made hot pot at home, I can’t stress enough that there just aren’t many EASY & QUICK family meals than a hot pot.  Here are quick 3 reasons why:

1. Only one prep, which is cutting vegetables!
2. Eat while you cook!  The way we enjoy hot pot is to sit around the hot pot (with a portable gas burner on the table).  While each of your family members talk about their day, the meal is being cooked.  When you’re enjoying hot food, next batch of food is being cooked.
3. Nutritious meal with all different (colors of) vegetables and protein in one meal!

Soy Milk Hot Pot

Author: Namiko Chen

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• .8 lb. (400 g) thinly sliced pork (pork loin)
• 1 package enoki mushrooms
• 1 package shimeji mushrooms
• 4 shiitake mushrooms
• ¼ napa cabbage leaves
• ½ bunch Mizuna (or spinach)
• 1 shungiku (edible chrysanthemums, in Chinese tong hao, or skip)
• 1 Tokyo negi (or leek)
• 1 green onion/scallion
• 1 block medium firm tofu
• ½ medium daikon
• 1 carrot
• 1 gobo (burdock root)

Hot Pot Soup

• 3 cups (720 ml) awase dashi (Kombu dashi for vegetarian/vegan)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) sake
• ¼ cup (60 ml) mirin
• 2 cups (480 ml) warm soy milk (microwave till it’s warm)
• ¼ cup (4 Tbsp.) miso (I use awase miso)
• 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
• kosher salt

Dipping Sauce

• Ponzu

Instructions

1. Hot Pot Soup: First we start making the soup and infuse with all the seasonings. In your donabe (earthenware pot) or other type of pot, add 3 cups (720 ml) dashi, ¼ cup (60 ml) sake and ¼ cup (60 ml) mirin. Cover and bring the soup to boil.
   
2. Once boiling, add 2 cups (480 ml) warm soy milk. On medium heat, slowly heat up until the soup almost boils. Keep the lid uncovered and stir once in a while. Meanwhile, grind 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds in a pestle and mortar.
   
3. Once the soup is hot, add ¼ cup (4 Tbsp.) miso and ground sesame seeds.
   
4. Taste the soup and add kosher salt if you like it saltier. Depends on the brands and types of miso, the saltiness of your soup will vary. I recommend making the soup a little bit saltier since you’ll add vegetables that will release water and dilute the soup. Turn off the heat and set aside. Keep it covered.
   
5. Hot Pot Ingredients: If your meat is not thinly sliced, you have to cut it thinly on your own. See how to do ithere (picture is thinly sliced beef).
   
6. Cut off and discard the bottom of enoki mushrooms and shimeji mushrooms.
   
7. Cut off and discard the shiitake stem. If you like, make decorative cut on shiitake mushrooms (See how to do it here).
   
8. Cut napa cabbage into 2” (5 cm) pieces widthwise. Then cut into 2-3 pieces lengthwise on the thick and white bottom part of napa cabbage so that it’ll be faster to cook.
   
9. Cut Mizuna (or spinach) and shungiku into 2” (5 cm) pieces.
   
10. Cut Tokyo negi (leek) into 1” (2.5 cm) thick pieces diagonally. Thinly slice green onion/scallion.
    
11. Cut the tofu block into 1” (2.5 cm) slices.
    
12. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the daikon and carrot thinly as if you are peeling their skin. You can cut these root vegetables into thinly rounds or quarters, but my family loves eating root vegetables in long paper-thin form.
    
13. Peel the gobo (burdock root) same way as daikon and carrot. Soak the thinly sliced gobo in water for 15 minutes to prevent them from changing color.
    
14. Put all the vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu in a platter.
    
15. Start cooking bottom white part of napa cabbage leaves, Tokyo negi, tofu, mushrooms, and root vegetables (daikon, carrot, gobo) over medium heat. Basically you don’t want to put leafy vegetables that will become wilted too soon before other vegetables become tender. Don't put too many ingredients. You can save them for the next batch. Once the hot pot soup is close to boiling, turn down so that the hot pot soup will not overflow and curdle. You want to keep it hot, but not boil. You can either start serving food that’s cooked, or add raw meat and leafy vegetable to cook. Make sure to add meat when the soup is hot. Skim any curdles floating on the soup. You can eat the curdle or discard. Pour ponzu sauce in a small bowl and add chopped green onion/scallion. Dip cooked meat and vegetables in ponzu sauce to enjoy! Add more ingredients to the pot as you eat.
    

http://www.justonecookbook.com/soy-milk-hot-pot-tonyu-nabe/