Suigyoza no chige-fu nabe / jjigae-style hotpot with shui jiao dumplings

A spicy red hotpot for chilly days, very filling yet gentle on your stomach. Have lots of fresh lemon wedges ready -- they will work some amazing magic at the end.
As with any nabe hotpot, any ingredients in the fridge or on the kitchen counter can go in. Explore with what you have, and find your favorite combinations.

1/2 of recipe (when taking a few sips of broth): 
436 calories; 25.8 g protein; 10.2 g fat; 58.2 g carbohydrate; 47.2 g net carbs; 366 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 38 mg cholesterol; 11.0 g fiber


<Ingredients>

(Serves 2)

Approx. 150 g (5-8 cm) daikon radish (147 g in photo)
2/3-1 medium carrot (85 g in photo)
Approx. 250 g (4-5 large or 7-8 medium leaves) hakusai napa cabbage (246 g in photo)
Large handful moyashi bean sprouts (165 g in photo)
Handful shungiku garland chrysanthemum (50 g in photo)
1/2 kinugoshi soft tofu (231 g in photo)
1 pack shirataki konnyaku yam noodles (198 g in photo)
Several shiitake mushrooms (65 g in photo)
Handful enoki mushrooms (63 g in photo)
10-20 suigyoza shui jiao dumplings (20 homemade salmon shui jiao in photo)

For broth
1,000 cc dashi
4 tbsp sake
1/2 tsp kurozu brown rice vinegar
5 g shami dried shrimp (optional)
4 tbsp yangnyeom seasoning mix for soondupu jjigae Korean soft tofu stew
2 1/2 tsp nampla fish sauce
2 1/2 tsp soy sauce

1-2 lemons (for serving)

<Directions>
1.

Prep-boil shirataki noodles cut 10-20 cm long for 1-2 minutes, and drain.

2.

In nabe pot, put dashi, sake, kurozu vinegar and shami shrimp.

3.

Cut daikon and carrot in rectangles.
For daikon, take off 4 sides lengthwise (use these pieces as ingredients too) to obtain roughly rectangle column.
Cut column lengthwise in half (as shown in this photo), and slice each section lengthwise into 5-6 mm thick rectangles (shown in next photo).

Add daikon and carrot to nabe, cover, bring to boil on medium heat, reduce heat once boiling, and simmer.

4.

Meanwhile, prepare other ingredients.
Cut off root ends of enoki and stem part of shiitake mushrooms.

Make cuts on shiitake umbrella as desired (optional).
Cut shungiku and hakusai into easy-to-eat sizes (3-5 cm).

Cut tofu.

5.

When daikon and carrot are somewhat soft (daikon starts to look translucent), add shirataki, yangnyeom seasoning mix, nampla and soy sauce, and continue simmering until vegetables are desired texture.

6.

In the meantime, cut lemon into wedges.

7.

Add tofu and shui jiao dumplings, and continue simmering.

Add shiitake and enoki mushrooms.

8.

When all ingredients are basically ready, add shungiku.

Serve in individual bowls, squeeze plenty of lemon juice, and enjoy!

<Notes>

• I use scissors to cut shirataki noodles as I put them in pot for prep-boiling. Using scissors is much easier than cutting with a knife.
• Any shui jiao dumplings are suitable. Among variations with fish filling, stronger-tasting fish such as salmon work better than white flesh fish.
• Store-bought shui jiao are generally very high in sodium. Make your own to curb the numbers!
• The nutrition figures above are very conservative numbers based on the assumption that 25% of water evaporates during cooking and approx. 50% of broth is consumed. Actual sodium intake is likely lower.
• Nutrition numbers also are significantly affected by shui jiao figures. For the above with 10 salmon shui jiao (1/2 recipe), the numbers are: 268 calories; 13.2 g protein; 6.0 g fat; 37.4 g carbohydrate; 34.9 g net carbs; 52 mg sodium; 23 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g fiber.
• Most sodium is found in the broth (1,400-2,000 mg, depending on how much is consumed, how much is absorbed by goodies, and how much evaporates during cooking). Taking fewer sips naturally ensures lower sodium intake.
• Leftover broth can be used to make zosui rice or noodle dishes in following meals.