Tokyo Cult Recipes | Sukiyaki (Japanese Beef Hotpot)

Yesterday I shared my review of Maori Murota’s Tokyo Cult Recipes, published by Murdoch Books. Click through to read more and to enter my giveaway to win your own copy of the book.

This beautiful hard back cookery book features over 100 recipes loved by Tokyoites, covering breakfast, lunch, sweet snacks and dinner, both foods that are typically cooked at home as well as those most often eaten out in cafes, restaurants and izakaya (pubs).

Sukiyaki is one of my favourite hotpots; I absolutely love the sweetness of the cooking broth – it gives such a lovely flavour to the meat, tofu, vegetables and mushrooms cooked in it.

Tokyo Cult Recipes Beef Hot Pot (Sukiyaki)

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5 from 1 vote

Sukiyaki (Japanese Beef Hotpot)

Recipe extracted with permission from Tokyo Cult Recipes by Maori Murota
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 packet (about 400g) shirataki noodles
  • 1 pack shimeji mushrooms
  • 1 leek (white part)
  • ½ bunch shungiku, or rocket leaves
  • ¼ Chinese cabbage
  • 500 g tofu
  • 600 g sliced beef
  • 4 extra-fresh organic eggs
  • 100-200 ml dashi (see below for recipe)
  • 2 packets pre-cooked udon noodles

For the Sukiyaki broth:

  • 100 ml soy sauce
  • 100 ml sake
  • 3 tbsp raw sugar

Notes

Shirataki noodles are thin vermicelli made from konnyaku, a type of yam also known as konjac. The translucent and gelatinous noodles are also popular in the West for their zero (or very low) calorie value. They also have no carbs or gluten, so are a good option for low-carb and low-gluten diets.
Shinguku are edible chrysanthemums which are widely eaten in Japan, especially during winter.

Instructions

  • Rinse the shirataki well and drain. Cut into 3 lengths. 
  • Wash the shimeji and roughly separate them. Cut the leek into 2 cm (¾ in) slices on the diagonal. Wash the shungiku, then cut across into 2 sections. Wash the Chinese cabbage and cut into 3 pieces. Cut the tofu into 3 cm (1¼ in) cubes. 
  • Place half of the prepared ingredients in a pot, ideally side by side. (If necessary, use a frying pan that doesn’t leave too much space around the ingredients.) Pour over the sukiyaki broth, then cover and cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add half of the beef. 
  • Once the vegetables are cooked, bring the pot to the table on a burner. Break the eggs into individual bowls and lightly beat with chopsticks. Let guests serve themselves, dipping the different foods in the beaten egg in their bowl. Gradually add more foods to the pot as they run out and repeat the cooking process as you go, according to the appetites of your guests. If there is not enough liquid, add some dashi. Right at the end of cooking (when there are no more ingredients in the sauce), add the cooked udon noodles. 

Dashi Recipe

40 mins preparation time – 17 mins cooking time

Ingredients and quantities
1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) water
10 g (¼ oz) kombu seaweed
10 g (¼ oz) katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

It is easy to remember the quantities of katsuobushi and kombu: 1% of the quantity of water.

Preparation

  • Soaking in water – Place the water in a saucepan. Cut the kombu into 2 pieces and add to the water, then leave to soak for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. You can do this the night before or a few hours ahead of time.
  • Cooking the dashi – Heat the water on a low heat until it just comes to a simmer, about 15 minutes. Don’t let it boil, or the seaweed flavour will be too strong. Take out the kombu just before the stock comes to the boil and add the katsuobushi all at once. Bring to the boil on a medium heat, then turn off the heat immediately. Let it infuse for 10 minutes.
  • Straining – Strain the dashi into a bowl. Let the dashi drip through, pressing lightly.

If you decide to buy this book after reading our content, please consider clicking through our affiliate link, located within the post and in the footnote at the end.

Kavey Eats received a review copy from Murdoch Books. Published by Murdoch Books, photography by Akiko Ida and Pierre Javelle. Tokyo Cult Recipes by Maori Murota is currently available on Amazon for £13.60 (RRP £20).

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11 Comments to "Tokyo Cult Recipes | Sukiyaki (Japanese Beef Hotpot)"

  1. christine

    This sounds awesome. Flavors I love. I’m not familiar w/ that last ingredient in the dashi but I’m sure with a little searching I can find it.

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    Christine, bonito is a fish a lot like tuna, and flakes (shavings, really) of dried bonito (katsuobushi) are a core ingredient, giving a distinctive umami savouriness. That said your can make veggie dashi with just the seaweed. But you should be able to find bonito from oriental stores, or online such as souschef, Japancentre etc.

    Reply
  2. shelby

    This looks delicious! I have not had a hotpot before, but I can assure you, I would not shy away from one!

    Reply
  3. Christie

    Sounds amazing! I need to see if I can get all the ingredients. Looks like a trip to the Asian store is in order.

    Reply
  4. Ron Vandenberg

    Love this recipe and it is simple which I like. Plus, it is one of my favourite dishes.

    Reply

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