RecipeTin Japan | Authentic Japanese Home Cooking

Chanko Nabe (Sumo Wrestler’s Hot Pot)

It is in the middle of winter here in Sydney. Although Sydney winter is very mild, I start feeling like having a hot pot as soon as the temperature dips below 15°C / 59°F. Chanko Nabe is a hot pot dish consumed by sumo wrestlers. A chicken-based broth with lots of different ingredients, Sumo Wrestler’s Hot Pot is so delicious.

I like everything about ‘nabe ryōri’ (鍋料理, hotpot dishes). I like them so much that I even eat them in the heat of summer, with the aircon turned on high.

The reason why I like them is because they are easy to prepare, you can eat all sorts of meat and vegetables in one dish, and they are filling but not heavy. …

Hero shot of Salty Chicken Rolls on a servng plate with blanched broccolini.

Here is a super easy dish to serve as a main, side or an addition to your antipasto platter. Salty Chicken Rolls has intense chicken flavour and is served cold or at room temperature. It keeps well in the fridge as well as frozen. I rarely use a microwave to cook food. My use of…

Gift box filled with Cigarette Butter Cookies wrapped in plastic bags.

My Cigarette Butter Cookies are very similar to the cigarette shaped cookies from the famous Japanese confectionery brand, Yoku Moku. You only need 4 ingredients to make these fancy butter cookies and a mere 6 minutes to bake! I love Yoku Moku cookies! I don’t have a sweet tooth but their cookies are one of…

Doria is a Japanese-invented gratin. The creamy béchamel sauce with prawns is broiled with cheese on top to make a golden crust. Underneath the béchamel sauce is a flavoursome butter rice. Prawn Doria (Japanese Rice Gratin) is a gorgeous looking dish and so tasty. Doria is a rice gratin but the way it is made…

Nori Bento (Roasted Seaweed on Rice) is a classic bento consisting of just rice, bonito flakes, soy sauce and roasted seaweed. But I added Saikyo Yaki Fish and other dishes to make it more nutritious. The flavour of nori and bonito flakes is so good that you can eat just rice without other dishes. For the…

I am delighted to share with you a recipe for Miso Dip that you get from 7-Eleven convenience stores in Japan. When you buy a cup of veggie sticks at 7-Eleven, it comes with a dip in a small plastic container. The dip is full of umami and quite addictive. You can eat a lot…

Hero shot of Eggplant with Minced Pork (Mābō Eggplant).

Eggplant with Minced Pork (Mābō Eggplant) is a twist on my recipe, Mābōdōfu (Mapo Tofu). The fried eggplant wedges replace the tofu cubes, giving a richer flavour to the dish and a completely different texture to that of Mābōdōfu. The beautiful deep purple of the eggplant skin stimulates your appetite. Although the flavour was modified slightly…

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Chanko Nabe (Sumo Wrestler’s Hot Pot)

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