Hot Pot In College: A Guide To Hosting Your Own

Hot pot is a fun and social way to eat a variety of foods with your friends. It's a great option for college students who want a home-cooked meal in their dorm room. All you need is a hot pot (or electric kettle), which you can buy for a reasonable price, and some ingredients. You can make anything from Easy Hot Pot Spaghetti to Hot Pot Tofu Chicken Noodle Soup to tea and hot chocolate. The hot pot is a versatile appliance that can be used for cooking or simply boiling water. It's faster than a microwave and safer than a stovetop kettle.

Hot Pot Equipment

Hot pot is a fun and social way of eating. It's a great option for college students, as it's easy to make in a dorm room and very customizable. All you need is a few key pieces of equipment, your choice of ingredients, and you're good to go! Here's a list of the essential hot pot equipment:

• Heat source: A portable heat source is necessary to cook your hot pot at the table. Options include a specialized electric hot pot burner, an electric burner (coil or induction), or a tabletop gas burner. If you plan on making hot pot regularly, investing in a hot pot set with a built-in electrical heating element is recommended.
• Pot: A wide and relatively shallow pot is best for hot pot. Chinese stainless steel hot pots are ideal due to their round shape and depth, but any similar pot will work. Some pots even have a "yin-yang" feature, allowing you to have two different soup flavors at once.
• Chopsticks: Bamboo or wooden chopsticks are recommended for hot pot as they are heat-resistant and cool down quickly. Plastic or metal chopsticks are not ideal as plastic may melt, and metal conducts heat.

The following equipment is not essential but will enhance your hot pot experience:

• Sauce bowls: Small bowls, such as Chinese rice bowls, are useful for each person to assemble their own dipping sauce.
• Metal hot pot baskets/wire ladles: These metal ladles are like wire sieves with wide holes. They help to cook and retrieve food from the pot.
• Hot pot strainers: These individual scoops help to remove food from the pot and are useful if you want to avoid using your chopsticks.

Where to Buy Hot Pot Equipment

You can find hot pot equipment at specialty kitchen stores, online retailers, or even your local Walmart or Bed Bath & Beyond. Prices can vary, but you can find a good hot pot for around $15-20.

Hot Pot Broth

The broth is the base of any hot pot meal. There are many different types of hot pot broth, but they are all simple to make and can be easily customised to your taste.

Spicy Broth

A spicy broth is a popular choice for hot pot. The most common type is the Sichuan spicy broth, which has a high fat content and a distinctive mouth-numbing and spicy flavour. This can be made with beef tallow or a neutral cooking oil, such as rapeseed or sunflower oil. The other key ingredients are dried chillies and Sichuan pepper, which create the iconic mala flavour. Other spices used include star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves and Chinese black cardamom. Aromatics such as scallions, onion, coriander, garlic and ginger are also important to add flavour and aroma to the broth.

Mild Broth

A mild broth typically consists of stock, aromatics, herbs and sometimes vegetables. It is light and easy to prepare. A simple version can be made with water, scallions and ginger. For a more flavourful broth, you can use chicken, pork, beef, mushroom or tomato stock.

Customising Your Broth

You can add a variety of ingredients to your broth to customise the flavour. Shiitake mushrooms, scallions, Chinese dates and goji berries are all popular additions. You can also add meat, such as chicken, or seafood, such as shrimp and fish fillets. If you want to add extra spice to your broth, you can include ingredients such as chilli bean paste and fermented black beans.

Store-Bought Broth

If you don't want to make your own broth, you can buy pre-made hot pot soup bases from Chinese shops or online. These can be used to make other dishes too, such as spicy beef noodle soup or stir-fry pot.

Tips

• If you are making spicy broth, you can soak the dried chillies in hot water before blending or chopping them to make them easier to work with and to prevent them from burning when cooked in oil.
• If you are making a mild broth with chicken, you can shred the cooked chicken and use it in other dishes, such as chow mein or dan dan noodles.
• If you are making a spicy broth, it is best to leave it to refrigerate overnight to intensify the flavour.
• If you are making a mild broth, you can add more hot water to the pot as the broth reduces during the meal.
• If you are making broth in advance, you can store it in the freezer for up to six months.
• If you are making spicy broth, you can replace the beef tallow with cooking oil for a vegan alternative.

Hot Pot Food Items

Hot pot is a highly customizable meal, so you can choose whatever food items you like. However, to make a balanced hot pot, it's a good idea to include a variety of options from the following categories:

Meat

Beef, pork, and lamb are popular choices for hot pot. Look for pre-sliced, paper-thin cuts, or slice them yourself. Fatty beef, beef short ribs, brisket, and chuck are all good options. For lamb, go for the shoulder or leg. Chicken breast or thigh can also be used, but it should be sliced thinly.

Seafood

Seafood is a common addition to hot pot. Shrimp, scallops, lobster, crab, oysters, clams, mussels, squid, and fish are all great choices. You can also add seafood balls, such as fish balls, shrimp balls, or lobster balls, which are already cooked and just need to be heated through.

Vegetables

Leafy greens such as cabbage, bok choy, spinach, and chrysanthemum greens are excellent choices for hot pot. Other options include root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, daikon radish, and lotus root, as well as mushrooms, corn, and tomatoes.

Tofu and Soy Products

Tofu is a must-have for many hot pot enthusiasts. Include a variety of tofu types, such as firm tofu, medium tofu, fried tofu puffs, and tofu skins. Soybean noodles and dried bean curd sticks are also great additions.

Noodles and Dumplings

Noodles are a popular choice to round out the hot pot meal. Udon, rice noodles, glass noodles, and mung bean vermicelli are all excellent options. For dumplings, go for frozen options like gyoza or potstickers, and make sure they are fully cooked before adding them to the hot pot.

Hot Pot Dipping Sauce Ingredients

Hot pot is a fun and interactive way to eat with friends, and the dipping sauces are a key part of the experience. Here are some ideas for hot pot dipping sauces, with a focus on ingredients.

Light Sesame Soy

A simple recipe combining sesame oil, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, minced garlic, and chopped spring onion. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for a crunchy texture.

Chilli Oil Vinegar Dip

Chilli oil is the star of this recipe, giving the dip a wonderful kick. It's made by infusing hot chillies into oil and can be found in most Asian supermarkets. Simply add minced garlic, black vinegar, light soy sauce, and chopped spring onion.

Creamy Dashi Garlic

A creamy, garlicky sauce with a few simple ingredients: peanut butter, minced garlic, and chopped coriander.

Honey Miso Dip

A perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savoury. Combine chopped spring onion and coriander with honey and miso paste.

Spicy Peanut Dip

This dip is great for meat. The main ingredient is peanut butter, which adds creaminess and nutty flavour. Add dou ban jiang (a popular bean paste used in Sichuan cuisine) for heat, along with chopped spring onion.

Classic Spicy and Sweet Chilli

Combine equal parts chilli paste and sweet chilli sauce, then add garlic and onion powder. For extra heat, include some chilli flakes or dried chilli. Don't forget the chopped coriander!

Hot and Sour Garlic Sauce

This sauce uses a packet of McDonald's garlic chilli sauce as its base, with the addition of black/rice vinegar and light soy sauce.

Taiwanese Shacha Dipping Sauce

A savoury and garlicky sauce with a hint of seafood flavour. Combine garlic, Shacha sauce, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, scallion, toasted sesame oil, and optional Thai chilli peppers.

Garlic Sesame Sauce

A creamy, garlicky, savoury sauce. Mix Chinese sesame paste, cashew butter, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, garlic, shiitake mushroom seasoning, and water. If you're allergic to nut butter, use sunflower seed butter instead.

Chinese Spicy Garlic Chilli Sauce

A spicy, savoury, and slightly tangy sauce. Mix garlic chilli sauce, balsamic vinegar, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, scallion, sesame seeds, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and oyster sauce.

Japanese Sesame Miso Sauce

This Japanese sauce is creamy and umami-rich. Mix white miso paste, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, Chinese sesame paste, coconut aminos, toasted white sesame seeds, and water. For a soy-free version, use chickpea miso paste.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

A sweet and spicy sauce inspired by Taiwanese dan dan noodles. Combine unsalted peanut butter, coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, water, and optional garlic chilli sauce and cilantro. For a peanut-free version, use creamy almond butter.

Hot Pot Cooking Times

Hot pot is a fun and social way of eating, where a variety of food is cooked in a communal pot of broth. The cooking times for hot pot will vary depending on the ingredients you choose, but here is a general guide to help you get started:

Meat

• Beef: 10 seconds to 1 minute
• Pork: up to 2 minutes
• Lamb: 90 seconds to rare, or up to 2 minutes for super tender
• Chicken: thinly slice and cook for up to 2 minutes

Seafood

• Shrimp: 1 minute
• Fish fillets: thinly slice and cook for up to 2 minutes
• Squid/Cuttlefish: up to 2 minutes
• Scallops: up to 2 minutes
• Fish balls: 3-5 minutes
• Shrimp balls: 1 minute

Leafy Greens

• Chrysanthemum greens: 3-4 minutes
• Yu choy: 30 seconds for stalks, a few seconds for leaves
• Napa cabbage: 10 minutes
• Romaine heart: 20 seconds
• Chinese greens: 40 seconds

Starches & Root Vegetables

• Vermicelli: 40 seconds
• Ramen: 1-3 minutes
• Udon: 1-3 minutes
• Potatoes: 4-8 minutes
• Taro: 5 minutes
• Lotus root: 4-8 minutes
• Daikon: 4-8 minutes

Fungi

• Enoki mushrooms: 10 minutes
• Shiitake mushrooms: 2-3 minutes
• King oyster mushrooms: 2 minutes
• Oyster mushrooms: 2-3 minutes

Soy Products

• Bean curd sheet: 20 seconds
• Fried tofu: 1 minute
• Fresh tofu: 1 minute, 30 seconds
• Frozen tofu: 2 minutes
• Tofu knots: 2 minutes
• Soy puffs: cook whole or slice in half for quicker cooking

Dumplings & Meatballs

• Chicken meatballs: 2 minutes
• Dumplings: 8-9 minutes
• Beef balls: 3 minutes

Drinks

To accompany your hot pot, you may want to serve some drinks. Beer is always a good option, or if you want to be more authentic, try wine or iced green or jasmine tea.

Frequently asked questions