Featured Comment:
“I’ve heard of this soup, but didn’t pay any attention to the ingredients. As it turns out, I’ve been eating it for the last couple of weeks! I’ve been cutting on carbs, and was looking for something light for breakfast. It’s just broth, sometimes plus gochujang, tofu, mushrooms, and vegetables. It’s very filling, no carbs needed. I will try the meatballs next time. Thanks for the recipe.”
– Feby
What is Chanko Nabe?
Chanko Nabe (ちゃんこ鍋) is a fascinating and culturally significant one-pot dish intimately linked with the world of Japanese sumo wrestling. The term “chanko” refers to the meals prepared and consumed by sumo wrestlers, which means that a variety of dishes, including curry rice and sukiyaki, can be considered “chanko” when prepared in a sumo stable.
The origins date back to the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912), around the time of the 19th yokozuna, Hitachiyama, at the Dewanoumi stable. The decision to make nabe dishes a central part of the wrestlers’ diet was driven by practical considerations.
With an influx of new recruits, the cost and effort of regular catering became too costly. Nabe dishes, which could be cooked in large quantities and did not require elaborate catering, became the staple. More importantly, Chanko Nabe provided an ideal nutritional balance to help wrestlers develop the physique necessary for sumo, leading to widespread adoption across different sumo stables.
Today, many retired sumo wrestlers have opened restaurants specializing in chanko-nabe, further popularizing this dish.
However, it’s important to note that there is no single way to season Chanko Nabe. Different stables use different bases for their nabe, including soy sauce, miso, and salt. This variety extends to the ingredients as well. While there are no strict rules, common ingredients in Chanko Nabe often include meatballs, Napa cabbage, and udon noodles, among others.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Chanko Nabe at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
Mix ground chicken with awase miso paste, ginger and garlic paste in a bowl. To avoid lumps, distribute the ingredients evenly, especially the miso paste.
In a small separate bowl, lightly whisk a small egg. Add this egg and some cornstarch to the chicken mixture. Combine until you get a slightly sticky consistency. Cover and refrigerate until it’s time to cook.
In a big pot, combine dashi stock, Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, soy sauce, mirin, ginger and garlic paste, and ground sesame seeds. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Once boiling, form the meatballs: scoop the chicken mixture with a spoon and use another spoon to slide it gently into the broth. Repeat until all the mixture is used. Cover the pot and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
Start by adding carrots, as they take longer to cook. After a few minutes, add the rest of your vegetables and firm tofu. Simmer everything together for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat. To add the miso, scoop it onto a ladle or mesh spoon and dip it into the broth. Use chopsticks or a small whisk to dissolve the miso paste gradually into the broth.
This method ensures even distribution without clumps.
Miso paste should be added as late in the process as possible, as it loses its flavor if overcooked.
Stir well and serve the soup either as is or with a bowl of rice. This comforting dish is perfect for cold days!
Jump to Full Recipe Measurements
How to Store
When it comes to nabe, careful storage is key to maintaining their quality and safety. Indeed, it’s not advisable to store these leftovers at room temperature in any season due to the risk of bacterial growth.
Refrigeration is a viable option for short-term storage, but freezing is the best approach for longer preservation. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Remove Food Debris: Use a colander or a similar utensil to sift out any food particles from the broth. This helps in preventing spoilage and maintaining the quality of the broth.
- Reboil the Broth: Before storing, bring the broth to a boil. This step is crucial as it kills any potential bacteria that might have developed while the pot was cooling down.
- Cooling: After boiling, let the broth cool down to touch. It’s important not to freeze the broth while it’s still hot, as this can raise the temperature of your freezer, affecting other stored foods.
- Freezing: Transfer the cooled broth into a freezer-safe container. It’s a good idea to portion the broth into the amounts you’ll likely use at one time. This way, you only defrost what you need, reducing waste.
- Freeze Only the Soup: It’s generally better to freeze just the soup rather than the entire contents of the nabe. Ingredients like vegetables and proteins can change texture when frozen and reheated, so they’re best eaten fresh.
When you’re ready to enjoy your nabe again, simply defrost the broth in the refrigerator or use the defrost setting on your microwave. Then, reheat the broth and add fresh ingredients to enjoy a meal.
FAQ
Nabe (鍋) can be translated as “hot pot” in English. It’s just a general term used to describe hot pot dishes in Japan and refers to the cooking pot itself.
Before the modern period, many houses in Japan had a Japanese-style hearth called “irori” (囲炉裏). It was used for cooking, as a light source, or as a heating source in winter.
The oldest record of a hot pot dish goes back to the 17th century, but it’s believed that cooking pot dishes using the hearth was common before that. Hot pot dishes not using a hearth started in the late 18th century.
Hot pots became popular as homecooked dishes in the 19th century because of gas stoves and electric hobs. Most families own a portable stove that can be placed in the middle of the table. We can keep adding ingredients to the broth and enjoy the hot pot together as a family.
The main reason sumo wrestlers eat Chanko Nabe are:
1. You can make it in a giant batch. Especially because so many sumo wrestlers (including trainees) share the same dish in a stable, cooking a large pot for everyone is more convenient.
2. You can consume a lot of vegetables to get strong!
3. To prevent food poisoning.
4. To save on utility bills.
They change flavor and ingredients often so they won’t get bored easily.
That’s also the beauty of Chanko Nabe! You can add what you like!
I hope you enjoy this Chanko Nabe recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Japanese Hotpot Recipes
Chanko Nabe (Sumo Stew)
Ingredients
Homemade Chicken Meatballs
- 200 g ground chicken
- 1 small egg If you’re using a large egg, whisk and use half
- ½ tbsp yellow miso paste (awase miso) awase
- ½ tsp ginger paste
- ½ tsp garlic paste
- ½ tbsp cornstarch
Broth
- 1000 ml dashi stock
- 1 ½ tbsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder (granules)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- ½ tbsp ginger paste
- ½ tbsp garlic paste
- 2 tbsp ground sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase miso) awase
Other Ingredients
- 150 g carrot peeled and cut into thick rounds
- 100 g Japanese leeks (naganegi) cut into thick diagonal slices
- 100 g mushroom of your choice I used shiitake and enoki
- 250 g napa cabbage around 1/8 roughly cut
- 150 g firm tofu cut into cubes
- 200 g potherb mustard (mizuna) stems removed
Instructions
Homemade Chicken Meatballs
- First prepare the meatballs. Add 200 g ground chicken to a bowl along with ½ tbsp yellow miso paste (awase miso), ½ tsp ginger paste and ½ tsp garlic paste. Mix until the ingredients are well distributed (especially the miso, we don't want any lumps!).
- In a small separate bowl, crack 1 small egg and lightly whisk.
- Add the egg and ½ tbsp cornstarch to the chicken mince, mix until you have a slightly sticky mixture. Cover and store in the refrigerate until it's time to cook.
Broth
- Add 1000 ml dashi stock, 1 ½ tbsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder (granules), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, ½ tbsp ginger paste, ½ tbsp garlic paste and 2 tbsp ground sesame seeds to the pot. Mix well and bring to boil over a medium heat.
- Once boiling, add the meatballs by scooping the ground chicken mixture onto a spoon and using another spoon to scrape it directly into the broth.
- When all the mince is used up, place the lid on and cook for 3-4 mins.
Other ingredients
- Add 150 g carrot first as they take a bit longer than the other vegetables. Boil for a few minutes before adding the rest of your vegetables and 150 g firm tofu. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and mix in 2 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase miso) by scooping it onto a ladle or mesh spoon and dipping it in the broth. Use chopsticks or a small whisk to break up the miso paste and gradually incorporate it into the broth.
- Mix well and serve on its own or with a bowl of rice.
- Enjoy!
I’ve heard of this soup, but didn’t pay any attention to the ingredients. As it turns out, I’ve been eating it for the last couple of weeks! I’ve been cutting on carbs, and was looking for something light for breakfast. It’s just broth, sometimes plus gochujang, tofu, musrooms, and vegetables. It’s very filling, no carbs needed.
I will try the meatballs next time. Thanks for the recipe.
I like your idea of adding gochujang, I’ll have to try that next time! The meatballs are one of my favourite parts of this recipe, I hope you enjoy them too. Thank you for the comment and rating 🙂