Keto Hot Pot: A Hearty, Healthy Twist On A Comfort Food Classic

Hot pot is a great way to warm up during the cold winter months. Typically, hot pot involves preparing a broth and keeping it simmering while you place ingredients into the broth to cook at the table. To make a keto-friendly hot pot, it's important to cut down on the carbs. Here's a step-by-step guide to making your own keto hot pot at home:

Step 1: Prepare the Broth

The type of broth you use will depend on your preference. You can use something simple like homemade bone broth with aromatics like green onion or ginger, or go for a spicy option like Sichuan or Szechuan. If you want to make your own spicy broth, you can try a recipe that includes ingredients such as fermented black beans, Shaoxing rice wine, ginger, dried Sichuanese chillies, peanut or vegetable oil, beef drippings or lard, Sichuanese chile bean paste, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Step 2: Gather Your Ingredients

The beauty of hot pot is that you can choose what goes into it. Just remember to keep it keto-friendly! Thinly sliced meat is a popular option, along with leafy green vegetables, mushrooms, and low-carb alternatives to noodles like shirataki noodles or zucchini noodles.

Step 3: Cook Your Hot Pot

Bring your broth to a boil and start adding your ingredients. Cook the meat for 1-3 minutes, depending on its thickness, and add the vegetables until they reach your desired tenderness.

And that's it! You now have a delicious and keto-friendly hot pot to enjoy. Just remember to practise portion control, as it's easy to overeat with all those tasty ingredients!

Choose a broth—try bone broth with aromatics or a spicy Sichuan broth

When making a keto hot pot, the broth is the most important component. You can use a simple bone broth with aromatics like green onion or ginger, or a spicy Sichuan broth.

If you want to make a spicy Sichuan broth, the following ingredients are recommended:

• Peanut oil or another type of oil that is not overpowering
• Sichuan peppercorns (also called prickly ash)
• Hot peppers (fresh or dried)
• Broth (any kind without added carbs)

You can also add the following ingredients to enhance the flavour:

• Jujube or goji berries
• Mushrooms
• Orange peels
• Anise seeds
• White pepper
• Rice vinegar

To make the bone broth, you can use a recipe from the book "Land of Plenty". The recipe includes the following ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fermented black beans (optional)
• 1/3 cup Shaoxing rice wine
• 3 inches of fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup dried Sichuanese chillies
• 1/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup beef drippings or lard
• 1/2 cup Sichuanese chile bean paste (or chilli oil)
• 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns

You can omit the fermented black beans and sugar from the recipe to reduce the carb count.

Prepare your ingredients—thinly sliced meat, leafy greens, and mushrooms are typical

Preparing your ingredients is a crucial step in making keto hot pot. Here are some tips and suggestions for selecting and preparing your ingredients: meat, leafy greens, and mushrooms.

Meat

Thinly sliced meat is ideal for hot pot as it cooks quickly and can be easily picked up with chopsticks. Beef and pork are popular choices. To prepare the meat, trim off any excess fat and gristle. Freeze the meat for about 30 minutes to make slicing easier. Slice the meat very thinly, preferably on a diagonal. If using beef, look for cuts with good marbling, such as ribeye or strip loin. For a more affordable option, go for cuts like chuck eye roast or sirloin tip.

Leafy Greens

Leafy green vegetables add colour, texture, and important nutrients to your hot pot. Bok choy is a popular choice, but you can also use other leafy greens such as spinach, Swiss chard, or Napa cabbage. Wash and chop your chosen leafy greens into bite-sized pieces.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a great source of vitamins and fibre and are a typical ingredient in hot pot. Enoki, shiitake, and king oyster mushrooms are excellent choices for hot pot due to their texture and flavour. Simply wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth or paper towel and slice them thinly.

Other Ingredients

In addition to meat, leafy greens, and mushrooms, you can include other low-carb ingredients such as zucchini noodles, tofu, scallions, snow peas, and bamboo shoots.

Use low-carb alternatives—swap noodles for shirataki noodles or zoodle alternatives

Low-Carb Alternatives: Shirataki Noodles or Zoodles

When making a keto hot pot, it's important to be mindful of the ingredients you use to keep it low-carb and keto-friendly. A great way to do this is to swap regular noodles for low-carb alternatives like shirataki noodles or zoodles.

Shirataki Noodles

Shirataki noodles are a unique, low-calorie food that is very filling. They are made from glucomannan, a type of fiber derived from the root of the konjac plant, which is native to Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. These noodles are high in fiber and have impressive health benefits, including weight loss, blood sugar regulation, and improved digestive health.

Shirataki noodles are easy to prepare and work well in a variety of dishes, especially Asian recipes. Before cooking, it's important to rinse them thoroughly under fresh running water to remove the fishy-smelling liquid they are packaged in. Then, heat the noodles in a skillet without any added fat to remove excess water and give them a more noodle-like texture.

Zoodles

Zoodles, or zucchini noodles, are another excellent low-carb alternative to regular noodles. They are made from zucchini that has been spiralized or cut into thin strips to resemble noodles. Zoodles are a great way to add more vegetables to your keto hot pot and are easy to prepare at home with a spiralizer or a simple kitchen knife.

Tips for Using Low-Carb Noodles

When using low-carb alternatives like shirataki noodles or zoodles in your keto hot pot, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Pair them with flavourful sauces or broths: These noodles have a very mild flavour, so they pair well with robust sauces or broths.
• Cook them properly: Ensure you don't overcook the noodles, as they can become mushy.
• Add a variety of toppings: Experiment with different toppings like meats, vegetables, and spices to find combinations that you enjoy.
• Be mindful of portion sizes: The serving sizes on the packaging may not always be accurate, so use a kitchen scale to measure your portions.

By using these low-carb alternatives and getting creative with your ingredients, you can enjoy a delicious and satisfying keto hot pot that fits within your dietary preferences and restrictions.

Cook your ingredients—add ingredients to the broth and cook for 1-3 minutes

Now that you've gathered all your ingredients, it's time to cook your keto-friendly hot pot!

First, bring your broth to a boil. As you add ingredients to the broth, the temperature will lower, so keep that in mind. Next, add your ingredients to the broth and cook for 1-3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat and the desired tenderness of the vegetables. Meat should be cooked for 1-3 minutes, depending on its thickness. Vegetables should be cooked until they reach your desired level of tenderness.

If you're cooking meat, make sure it's thinly sliced so it cooks quickly and can be easily picked up with chopsticks. You can add a variety of vegetables to your hot pot, such as mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, and king oyster), bamboo shoots, and leafy greens. If you're looking for a low-carb option, try using shirataki noodles, which are made from tofu and have only 1 net carb per 113 grams.

Remember, the key to a successful hot pot is to cook your ingredients in small batches so that everything cooks evenly and you don't overcrowd the pot. Enjoy your delicious and keto-friendly hot pot!

Make a dipping sauce—try ginger, tamari, and peppercorns

Making a keto-friendly hot pot dipping sauce with ginger, tamari, and peppercorns is a great way to add flavour to your hot pot. Here is a recipe that incorporates these ingredients, as well as a few others, to create a delicious sauce.

Ingredients:

• Ginger
• Tamari (or soy sauce)
• Peppercorns
• Onion
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Sesame oil
• Orange zest
• Orange juice
• Red chilli pepper flakes

Instructions:

• Roughly chop the onion, peel the garlic cloves, and peel and chop the ginger.
• Zest and juice the lemon.
• Add all the ingredients to a blender and purée until smooth.
• Alternatively, you can combine the ingredients in a small pan and cook for around 8 minutes to make a sauce with a thicker consistency.

Feel free to adjust the measurements of each ingredient to suit your personal taste preferences. You can also add other ingredients, such as chilli oil, to make the sauce spicier.

Frequently asked questions