Japanese Hot Pot with Ginger Chicken Balls
The weather people have been using the “s” word the past few days.
Apparently we are likely to have SNOW this coming Monday. And they are not talking about flurries but a measurable accumulation.
So finally I decided to buy a clay pot (or do-nabe in Japanese) to make hotpot (or nabe in Japanese).
I enjoyed various hotpot dishes growing up in Japan. Although I had frequent craving for them every winter in the US, I hesitated to purchase a pot because it’s large and it takes some storage space in the kitchen.
But this weekend I felt it was time to get one. If it helps make it even a bit easier to survive another winter in Minnesota, I think it’s so worth it.
So we had our first nabe lunch today.
At the last minute we invited our neighbors and we were so glad that they were able to join us.
It’s always more fun to have nabe as a group. Nabe is a meal but it’s also a social event.
There are endless versions of nabe, but this version is one of the simplest ones.
Ginger chicken balls, tofu, and vegetables were cooked in broth, and they were enjoyed individually with three types of sauce: sesame sauce, ponzu (citrus soy sauce), and garlic chili sauce.
I have to say our first nabe was a big success! I can’t wait to have another one soon.
Japanese Hot Pot with Ginger Chicken Balls
water
1~2 tablespoons hondashi (Japanese fish soup base)
ginger chicken balls
– 1 tablespoon minced ginger
– 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
– 1 lb ground chicken
– salt and pepper
– 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
– 1 egg, beaten
– 5~8 tablespoons corn starch
vegetables of your choice: I used carrots, green onion, bunashimeji mushroom, enoki mushroom, napa cabbage, shungiku(this is the dark green colored leafy vegetable. Sorry I don’t know what to call this in English.), shirataki(yam noodle), broiled tofu, naruto (fish cake)
garlic chili sauce
– 1/2 cup soy sauce
– 1/4 cup white vinegar
– 2~3 tablespoons sugar
– 1 tablespoon garlic chili paste
– 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1. Put water to reach a little over halfway up the side of the pot. Add hondashi and mix well until it completely dissolves. Bring to a boil.
2. Make ginger chicken balls. Combine all the ingredients except for corn starch. Add corn starch one tablespoon at a time until it achieves the right consistency.
3. Drop the chicken balls in the broth. Cook them over medium heat until they are thoroughly cooked inside.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook for a few minutes. Carrots take longer to cook.
5. Scoop up what you want out of the broth. Enjoy them with sauce of your choice. This time I served Japanese sesame sauce (store-bought), ponzu (store-bought), and garlic chili sauce.
生姜鶏団子鍋
土鍋買ってしまいました~!!
ずっと欲しいと思っていたのですが、今朝急に思い立ってアジア食料品店で購入。
もちろん卓上コンロも一緒にお買い上げ。
モノを減らそう減らそうとしているのに、こんなもの買ってていいのだろうか、という疑問は少し残るものの、どうしても欲しかったんだからしょうがないのです(苦笑)。
コストコに出かけていたテリーに、お昼鍋するからそれまでに帰って来てね、と連絡。
急きょ近所の友達カップルも招待。
鍋は人数が多い方が絶対楽しいもんね。
実は鍋なんて自分で作った(作る?と言うか準備した?)のは初めてで、何か失敗するのではないか、と終始怖気づきモードだったのですが、
あれよあれよ、とスムーズに進み、大成功な初鍋となりました~!
具も見てわかるように、沢山用意。




一応メインは、生姜鶏団子。
丸くこねず、タネをスプーンですくって入れていく田舎風?!
いびつな形が個性的で良いのです(苦笑)。
ちなみに今日は春菊までアジア食料品店で見つけてラッキー!
あの独特な苦み?が鍋にぴったりですよね。
もう食べ終わる前から、今度はどんな鍋を作ろうかわくわくでした~。
↓ボタン押していただけるとランキングが上がって励みになります。Thank you!!
2 thoughts on “Japanese Hot Pot with Ginger Chicken Balls
生姜鶏団子鍋”
Shironeko
Reikoさん、こんにちは。
お鍋!いいですねー。私も毎年今年こそと思いつつ土鍋購入にまだ至って無いのですが、寒くなってくるとやっぱり欲しくなりますね。お鍋おいしそう!
Reiko Reply:
November 9th, 2014 at 10:44 am
Shironekoさん、
お鍋!な季節ですよね。
土鍋長い間迷っていたのですが、ここに来て購入してしまいました。
ちょっと衝動的な買い物でしたが、買ってよかったと思います♪
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