The Ultimate Guide To Finding Spicy Chinese Hot Pot

Chinese hot pot is a popular cooking style that involves everyone cooking their food in a shared pot of broth. It is more of an experience than a dish itself, encapsulating the communal dining ethos of Chinese culture. The most important element of a hot pot is its broth, which can be spicy or non-spicy, and is typically prepared using a variety of ingredients such as chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, along with aromatics and spices.

Hot pot is especially popular during the Chinese New Year reunion dinner, offering a heartwarming atmosphere for conversation and the sharing of stories. It is also a fun and interactive meal that allows individuals to personalise their bowls with their favourite ingredients and spices.

While hot pot can be enjoyed at home, there are also many famous hot pot restaurant chains in China, such as Hai Di Lao and Little Sheep, which have branches in the US and other countries.

How to make spicy Chinese hot pot at home

Ingredients and Equipment

For a spicy Chinese hot pot, you will need the following ingredients and equipment:

• A heat source, such as a portable gas, electric, or induction burner.
• A pot or wok that sits stably over the heat source. A wide and shallow pot is preferable, and a divided pot with a wall in the middle allows you to have two different types of broth (usually spicy and mild).
• Plates for holding the various food items.
• Bowls for dipping sauces (usually one bowl per diner).
• Chopsticks (wooden or bamboo).
• Slotted spoons (optional).
• Broth or stock (chicken, mushroom, or tomato-based are popular options).
• Meat and seafood, such as beef, lamb, pork, fish, shrimp, and crab.
• Vegetables, such as leafy greens, mushrooms, potatoes, and corn.
• Noodles and dumplings.
• Tofu and soybean-based products.
• Dipping sauces and condiments, such as soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, and scallions.

Preparation and Cooking

• Prepare the broth by combining stock with spices, herbs, garlic, spring onions, and ginger. Bring it to a simmer.
• Place the heat source and the pot in the middle of the table and pour in the broth.
• Arrange the plates of food items, dipping sauce bowls, chopsticks, napkins, and drinks around the pot.
• Turn on the heat and bring the broth to a boil.
• Add the ingredients to the broth and cook them thoroughly before removing them. Be considerate of other diners and use courtesy chopsticks when adding ingredients to the shared pot.
• Remove the cooked ingredients from the broth and add them to your bowl.
• Dip the cooked ingredients into your sauce or add the sauce to your bowl and enjoy!

Tips

• Keep the water level at about 75% of the pot to avoid overflowing.
• Add boiling water as needed to maintain the water level in the pot.
• Cook umami-rich foods first, such as meat and seaweed, to add more flavour to the broth.
• Do not overcook meat, fish, or seafood, as they will become tough and chewy.
• Cook starchy items, like potatoes and noodles, at the end to avoid thickening the broth.

Where to buy the ingredients for spicy Chinese hot pot

If you're looking to make a spicy Chinese hot pot at home, you'll need to gather a few ingredients and some special equipment.

Ingredients

You can buy pre-made hot pot soup bases from Chinese shops or online. However, if you want to make your own from scratch, you'll need:

• Beef tallow (or a neutral-flavoured cooking oil)
• Dried chilli peppers and Sichuan peppercorns
• Spices such as star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, and tsao-ko (Chinese black cardamom)
• Aromatics such as scallions, onion, coriander, garlic, and ginger
• Sichuan chilli bean paste and fermented black beans
• Shaoxing rice wine and sugar

Where to Buy the Ingredients

You can find most of these ingredients in Asian grocery stores or online. If you don't have access to an Asian supermarket, try ordering the ingredients online.

Equipment

To make hot pot at home, you'll need some special equipment:

• A heat source, such as an electric hot plate or a tabletop gas burner
• A pot—ideally, a Chinese stainless steel hot pot, or any wide, relatively shallow pot
• Chopsticks—bamboo or wooden chopsticks are best
• Sauce bowls
• Metal hot pot baskets/wire ladles

What to serve with spicy Chinese hot pot

Chinese hot pot is a highly customizable meal, so you can serve it with a wide variety of side dishes and ingredients. Here are some ideas for what to serve with a spicy Chinese hot pot:

Meat and Seafood

Thinly sliced meat, such as beef, lamb, or pork, is a popular choice for hot pot. You can also add seafood like shrimp, squid, scallops, or fish cakes and tofu. Fish balls, particularly those filled with shrimp, pork, or lobster, are also a tasty addition.

Vegetables

When it comes to vegetables, napa cabbage, baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli, and yu choy are excellent choices. Don't forget the mushrooms! Enoki, shimeji, king oyster, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms all work well. Other options include corn on the cob, daikon radish, winter melon, and potato or sweet potato.

Tofu and Soy Products

Tofu and soy products are a must-have for a Chinese hot pot. Include items like firm tofu, deep-fried tofu puffs, frozen tofu, yuba sheets (tofu skin), and dried bean curd sticks.

Noodles and Dumplings

Noodles and dumplings are considered staples for a Chinese hot pot. You can use hand-pulled noodles, fresh noodles, dried noodles, shirataki noodles, or frozen dumplings.

Dipping Sauces

Don't forget the dipping sauces! You can offer a variety of options, such as sesame paste-based sauce, Shacha sauce (a seafood sauce), or a combination of chili oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, and scallions.

What to do with leftovers from spicy Chinese hot pot

Chinese hot pot is a fun, social meal, but it often results in leftovers. Here are some tips on what to do with them:

Storing Leftovers

First, it's important to note that Chinese hot pot is best enjoyed fresh. However, if you do have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure to cool the leftovers down as quickly as possible and store them in airtight containers.

Reheating Leftovers

When reheating your Chinese hot pot leftovers, it's best to use a stovetop or induction cooker. Place the leftovers in a pot or hot pot and heat them over medium heat until they are simmering. Do not boil the leftovers, as this can overcook the ingredients. If using a microwave, transfer the leftovers to a microwave-safe container and heat in short intervals, stirring occasionally, until the desired temperature is reached.

Leftover Ideas

Soups and Noodle Dishes

You can use the leftover broth as a base for soups or noodle dishes. Simply add some vegetables, meats, or noodles to the broth and simmer until cooked. This is a great way to create a quick and easy meal with your leftovers.

Fried Rice or Noodle Stir-Fry

If you have leftover rice or noodles, you can create a stir-fry dish by heating them in a wok or pan with some oil and adding your choice of vegetables, meats, and sauces. This is a great way to use up any leftover ingredients and create a delicious new meal.

Dumplings or Potstickers

If you have leftover dumplings or want to use up leftover meats and vegetables, you can create dumplings or potstickers. Simply wrap the fillings in dumpling wrappers and cook them by steaming, boiling, or pan-frying.

Salads or Cold Noodle Dishes

You can also use your leftovers to create cold dishes such as salads or cold noodle dishes. For example, you can chop up leftover meats and vegetables and mix them with a dressing to create a salad. Alternatively, you can cook some noodles, rinse them under cold water, and then mix them with your leftover ingredients to create a cold noodle dish.

Creative Leftover Combinations

Get creative with your leftovers! For example, you can use leftover meats and vegetables to make sandwiches, wraps, or tacos. You can also add them to scrambled eggs or omelettes for a hearty breakfast. Leftover sauces can be used as marinades or dressings for other dishes.

How to make spicy Chinese hot pot vegetarian/vegan

Chinese hot pot is a popular communal dining experience, where a group of people cook their food in a shared pot of broth. It is a great way to warm up during colder months and is perfect for sharing with friends and family.

The Broth

The foundation of the Chinese hot pot is a good stock. You can use a store-bought chicken or vegetable stock, or make your own from scratch. To make your own stock, you will need chicken and/or pork bones. Clean the bones under running water, place them in a pot of cold water, and bring to a boil. After a few minutes, discard the water, wash the bones, and place them in a fresh pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and add scallions and ginger. Simmer for two hours, skimming off any scum. Then, add chicken bones and simmer for another hour. Finally, remove the bones and strain the stock to remove any small bones and debris.

For a spicy Sichuan-style broth, you will need dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, garlic, and a spicy hot pot soup base or paste. You can also add beef tallow or cooking oil for a richer broth. First, cook the garlic and ginger in oil until caramelized. Then, add the rest of the spices and cook until fragrant. Add the soup base and chicken stock, bring to a boil, and transfer to your hot pot.

For a non-spicy Cantonese-style herbal broth, add Chinese Angelica, Fragrant Solomonseal Rhizome, Goji berries, and red dates to your stock and simmer for an hour. Season with salt.

The Dipping Sauce

A dipping sauce is an integral part of the hot pot experience. You can make your own by combining Chinese sesame paste, Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar, vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar, chili oil, garlic, green onions, and cilantro.

The Ingredients

The fun part about hot pot is that you can choose whatever ingredients you like! Here are some ideas:

• Vegetables: Napa cabbage, carrot, sweetcorn, daikon, bok choy, lettuce
• Protein: Thinly sliced beef or lamb, fish fillets, shrimp, tofu, soy puffs (fried tofu puffs), dumplings or wontons
• Mushrooms: Shiitake, wood ear, enoki, button, straw
• Noodles: Rice noodles, glass noodles, mung bean vermicelli

The Equipment

To make hot pot at home, you will need:

• A portable stove or electric hot plate
• A pot (preferably wide and shallow)
• Long chopsticks or wired metal baskets, ladle, and/or stainless steel wire skimmers

The Process

Once you have assembled your broth, dipping sauce, and ingredients, you are ready to start your hot pot! Place your hot pot on the stove and bring the broth to a low boil or simmer. Place all your prepared ingredients around it, and let everyone mix their own dipping sauces. Each person can then add whatever ingredients they want to the pot, wait for them to cook, and then dip them into their sauce. As the water evaporates, add more boiling water as needed. Enjoy!

Frequently asked questions