Name: Kare Nabe (Japanese Curry Hot Pot)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 600 ml water; 5 g dried kelp (kombu); 4 chicken drumsticks; 1 carrot (peeled, cut into thick rounds); 4 slices kabocha squash ((or butternut squash) skin-on); 1 tbsp curry powder; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu); 1 tbsp sake; 1 tbsp mirin; ½ tbsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder; 1 tsp chili bean sauce (toban djan); 6 black tiger shrimp (shells and veins removed, tail left on); 50 g shimeji mushrooms (or mushrooms of choice); 2 leaves Napa cabbage (roughly cut); 1 Japanese leek (naganegi) (diagonally sliced); 1 green bell pepper (or 2-3 piman, cut into bitesize pieces); 4 tbsp preferred shredded melting cheese; 1 tomato (with a cross scored on the top); 2 ptns cooked ramen noodles

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How I Developed This Recipe

Curry rice might be the most well-known Japanese curry dish, but Japan has come up with a bunch of new and creative takes on this popular comfort food. One of these is curry nabe (hot pot), which takes the regular curry flavor and turns it into a hearty, communal dish.

This recipe has lots of layers of flavor. It starts with a delicate kombu broth base, then gets deeper with chicken drumsticks and shrimp. The end result is a creative yet approachable dish that captures the essence of curry in hot pot form.

Best of all, this hearty and satisfying meal comes together easily using simple curry powder. It’s the perfect way to warm up on a chilly winter evening, getting the whole family or friends around a steaming pot of aromatic curry!

Japanese Curry Hot Pot (Kare Nabe) with chicken, prawns, vegetables and cheese in a gray ceramic pot on a black wood-effect background

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

Kombu (dried kelp): This is the base of our tasty broth. It’s an essential Japanese ingredient that adds rich umami flavor to the hot pot, creating a complex base that makes the whole dish better.
Drumsticks & Shrimp: These proteins work double duty—the chicken bones enrich our broth while the meat becomes tender and succulent, and the shrimp adds a delicate sweetness and another layer of flavor.
Tomato: It adds a nice balance of natural umami and acidity to the curry.
Napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage): A great choice because of its natural water content and sweet flavor, which enhance the broth beautifully. Regular green cabbage works well too.
Pumpkin (kabocha or butternut squash): It adds natural sweetness and helps thicken the broth. I love using kabocha for its rich flavor, but butternut squash makes an excellent substitute.
Additional Vegetables: You can use whatever mushrooms you like (I used shimeji, but any variety works well), carrots, bell peppers, and Japanese leeks (or regular leeks).
Broth Seasonings: Soy sauce, sake, mirin, curry powder (I used Japanese one, but you can use any variety), chicken bouillon powder, chili bean paste (doubanjiang), and melty cheese (either cheddar, gouda, or a mix of both).

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holding a chicken drumstick with black chopsticks above Japanese curry hot pot

Visual Walkthrough & Tips

Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Curry 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.

STEP

Prepare the Kombu Stock

Place the kombu in a large pot and cover with cold water. Let it steep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to get the most out of the umami flavor.

two pieces of kombu (dried kelp) in a pot of water on a white background

STEP

Cook the Chicken Base

Add the drumsticks to the pot and heat over medium heat until it’s almost boiling. When small bubbles appear around the edges, remove and discard the kombu.

chicken in kombu dashi in a gray ceramic pot on the stove

Skim off any foam that rises to the surface to ensure a clear and clean-tasting broth.

STEP

Add Hard Vegetables

Now, add the pumpkin and carrots to the pot. These dense vegetables need more cooking time to get tender and soak up that broth. If you plan to use other hardy root vegetables, add them here.

chicken, carrots and kabocha simmered in kombu dashi in a gray ceramic pot on a black stove

Cover and simmer over low to medium heat for about 5 minutes.

STEP

Complete the Hot Pot

Add the rest of your vegetables, shrimp, seasonings, and cheese to the pot. Give it a gentle stir to mix everything together, but be careful not to overdo it and break up the ingredients.

Japanese curry hot pot topped with a tomato, cheese, chicken, prawns and various vegetables on the a black stove on a white background

Cover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until the shrimp and chicken are cooked through. The vegetables should be tender but still hold their shape.

STEP

Serve and Enjoy

Pour the hot pot into individual bowls, making sure each one has a good mix of proteins, vegetables, and broth.

Japanese Curry Hot Pot (Kare Nabe) with chicken, prawns, vegetables and cheese in a gray ceramic pot close up

STEP

Optional Noodle Finish

When you’re done with all the ingredients, cook the ramen or udon noodles in a separate pot following the package instructions. Drain and rinse them under water to get rid of the excess starch, then toss them into the rest of the curry broth.

pre-boiled ramen noodles in leftover curry hot pot broth on a white background

This hot pot finish will transform the leftover broth into a satisfying noodle course.

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I hope you enjoy this 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!