Hot Pot Manual Setting: A Guide To Finding The Perfect Temperature

Hot pot is a Chinese cooking method where a pot of boiling broth is placed in the centre of the table, with a heating element underneath. Diners add various raw ingredients, such as meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu, dumplings and noodles, to the broth and eat them with a dipping sauce.

There are two types of hot pot broths: spicy and clear. The spicy broth is usually a red chilli oil base, while the clear broth is a simple combination of stock, scallions, ginger and a few optional dried ingredients.

The Instant Pot is a popular multi-use electric cooker with various buttons and settings, including a manual setting.

Hot Pot Broth Basics

Hot pot is a fun and social dining experience with a pot of broth as its centrepiece. The beauty of hot pot is its versatility, so feel free to experiment with different ingredients and flavours. Here are some tips for making delicious hot pot broth.

Broth Types

Hot pot broth can be spicy, mild, málà, sour, or sweet. For a spicy broth, the most popular type is Hong You Guo Di/红油锅底, which originates from Sichuan and Chongqing. It has a high fat content, a strong aroma, and a distinctive mouth-numbing and spicy taste. Another option is to make a chicken stock-based mild broth, known as Qing Tang Guo Di/清汤锅底 in Chinese. This is a general term for non-spicy broths that typically consist of stock, aromatics, herbs, and sometimes vegetables.

Ingredients

The key ingredients for a spicy broth include beef tallow or cooking oil, dried chilli peppers, Sichuan pepper, other spices (e.g. star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves), aromatics (e.g. scallions, onion, coriander, garlic, ginger), Sichuan chilli bean paste, fermented black beans, Shaoxing rice wine, and sugar. For a mild broth, use chicken, pork, beef, or mushroom stock, and add aromatics such as scallions, ginger, and Chinese dates (jujube) and Goji berries for extra flavour.

Preparation

To make a spicy broth, first melt the beef tallow in cooking oil and infuse it with spices like star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, and Chinese black cardamom. Then, add aromatics like scallions, onion, and coriander, followed by dried chilli paste, Sichuan chilli bean paste, fermented black beans, minced garlic, and ginger. Finally, add sugar, Sichuan pepper, and rice wine. For a mild broth, boil a whole chicken or chicken pieces in water with sliced ginger. Skim off any froth, then simmer for 1.5-2 hours until the water becomes milky. Pour the broth into your hot pot and add rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, scallions, Chinese dates, and Goji berries. Season with white pepper and salt.

Tips

• You can make a vegan version of the spicy broth by replacing beef tallow with a neutral-flavoured cooking oil.
• Rehydrate dried chillies in hot water before chopping them into a coarse paste to prevent them from burning when cooked in oil.
• If you don't have time to make broth from scratch, you can use store-bought chicken broth for a mild broth, or buy pre-packaged hot pot base for a spicy broth.
• If you want to add extra flavour to a mild broth, try adding shiitake mushrooms, daikon radish, green onions, and ginger.
• For spicy broth, you can purchase ready-made hot pot soup base from Chinese shops, or make your own from scratch.

Hot Pot Equipment

Hot pot is a communal dining experience, with a pot of broth placed in the centre of the table, and diners cooking their choice of meat, seafood, and vegetables in the broth. The key to the hot pot experience is a tabletop heating device. These devices come in a range of sizes, and there are many accessories available to expand their abilities.

For the hot pot experience, you will need a heat source, a pot, and chopsticks.

Heat Source

Any portable heat source will work, such as an electric burner (coil or induction), a tabletop gas burner, or a specialised electric hot pot burner.

Pot

Chinese stainless steel hot pots are ideal because of their round shape and depth—wide and deep enough to hold a good amount of food, while not being so deep that the food gets lost at the bottom. Some designs even have a “yin-yang” feature, where you can have two soup flavours simmering at the same time. However, any wide, relatively shallow pot will work.

Chopsticks

Hot pot is best eaten with bamboo or wooden chopsticks, which are heat-resistant and cool off quickly.

Additional Equipment

You will also need sauce bowls, and metal hot pot baskets/wire ladles. The latter are not completely necessary, but they are useful for cooking and retrieving food from the pot.

Hot Pot Ingredients

Hot pot is a fun and interactive dining experience, where a pot of broth is placed at the centre of the table, surrounded by various raw ingredients that each person can add to the broth and cook as they eat. The four main categories of ingredients are broth, protein, carbs, and veggies.

Broth

The broth can be made from scratch or using a pre-packaged hot pot base. Chicken broth is a popular choice for its light taste, but beef or pork bone broth can also be used for extra creaminess. Other options include mushroom-based broths, tomato soup bases, and fiery Sichuan hot pot.

Protein

Hot pot is a great way to enjoy a variety of meats, including thinly sliced beef or lamb, which cook quickly and are tender. Other options include pork belly, chicken, and fish fillets. For those who enjoy seafood, shrimp, squid, and scallops are also great choices.

Carbs

Carbs are an essential part of the hot pot experience, and there are several options to choose from. Thin noodles, such as mung bean vermicelli, rice noodles, and shirataki noodles, are popular choices as they cook quickly and won't add too much starch to the soup base. Dumplings, rice cakes, and frozen tofu are also great options.

Veggies

A mix of vegetables and fungi adds a balanced flavour to the hot pot. Leafy greens such as napa cabbage, bok choy, and spinach are mild-tasting and won't overwhelm the broth. Other options include pumpkin, tomatoes, corn, and mushrooms such as enoki, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms.

Extras

In addition to the main categories, there are a few extra ingredients that can enhance the hot pot experience. These include bean curd sticks, soy puffs, and tofu sheets. Fried bean curd rolls and fish tofu are also fun additions, providing a squishy and snappy texture.

Hot Pot Dipping Sauces

Hot pot is a fantastic communal dining experience, and the right dipping sauce can take your hot pot to the next level. Here are some ideas for hot pot dipping sauces, from light and creamy to spicy and savoury.

Light Sesame Soy

A simple recipe with a wonderful Asian-inspired flavour. Combine 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 dip, adding a kick of flavour. It's perfect for dipping vegetables and meat. Combine chilli oil with minced garlic, black vinegar, light soy sauce, and chopped spring onion.

Creamy Dashi Garlic

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

Honey Miso Dip

A perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savoury. Combine chopped spring onion, chopped coriander, and peanut butter.

Spicy Peanut Dip

A quick and easy dip with a creamy, nutty flavour and a hint of spice. Mix peanut butter, spicy bean paste, and chopped spring onion.

Classic Spicy and Sweet Chilli

A classic, well-loved sauce. Combine chilli paste, sweet chilli sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and chilli flakes or dried chilli.

Hot and Sour Garlic

A McDonald's garlic chilli sauce packet, black or rice vinegar, and light soy sauce.

Taiwanese Shacha Dipping Sauce

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

Garlic Sesame Sauce

A creamy, garlicky sauce that's a great alternative to spicy flavours. Mix Chinese sesame paste, cashew butter, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, garlic clove, shiitake mushroom seasoning, and water.

Japanese Sesame Miso

A creamy, nutty, umami-rich sauce. Combine white miso paste, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, Chinese sesame paste, coconut aminos, toasted white sesame seeds, and water.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

A sweet and spicy sauce inspired by Taiwanese dan dan noodles. Mix unsalted peanut butter, coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, water, and garlic chilli sauce (optional).

Hot Pot Cooking Tips

The Basics

Hot pot is a communal dining experience, popular in East and Southeast Asian cooking. It involves diners gathering around a pot of broth, into which they add various raw ingredients, such as meat, seafood, vegetables, and starches. The cooked food is then retrieved and flavoured with individual dipping sauces.

The Gear

You will need a heat source, such as a tabletop gas burner or an electric burner. You will also need a pot, ideally one that is wide and relatively shallow, and chopsticks, preferably bamboo or wooden.

The Broth

Broth forms the base of your hot pot. You can make your own, using a meat or mushroom base, or buy a pre-made broth. You can even have two broths at once, for a spicy and a mild option.

The Spread

Variety is key when it comes to hot pot. You want a mix of textures and flavours, so choose a range of ingredients from the following categories: protein, seafood, leafy veg, hardy veg, mushrooms, accessories, and starch.

The Cooking

Start by adding the ingredients that take the longest to cook, such as hardy vegetables and mushrooms, or those that will add flavour to the broth, like meat. Keep the broth at a low simmer and be careful not to overcrowd the pot, as this will lower the temperature and result in undercooked food.

The Condiments

While some believe the broth is flavour enough, others like to add condiments, such as soy sauce, chilli oil, or black vinegar. You can also add aromatics like scallions, garlic, and cilantro.

The Etiquette

Hot pot is a communal experience, so be sure to share your food with your fellow diners. If you see something that looks tasty, scoop it up and pop it into a dining companion's bowl.

Frequently asked questions