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Chanko Nabe (Fondue des sumos)

Name: Chanko Nabe (Fondue des sumos)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: JP
Ingredients: 1.8 liters water; 1 piece (10 cm) dried kombu seaweed; 15 g dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi); 3 tbsp soy sauce; 3 tbsp mirin; 2 tbsp sake; 500 g ground chicken thigh; 1 egg; 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs; 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger; 2 cloves garlic, grated; 2 scallions, finely chopped; 1/2 tsp salt; 400 g bone-in chicken thigh, cut into large chunks; 300 g firm white fish fillet (cod or similar), cut into large pieces; 400 g firm tofu, cut into cubes; 1/4 head (about 400 g) napa cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces; 2 Japanese leeks (negi) or 4 scallions, sliced on the diagonal; 1 carrot, sliced into rounds; 150 g shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed; 100 g enoki mushrooms, trimmed; 100 g spinach or chrysanthemum greens (shungiku); to serve cooked udon noodles or steamed rice; to serve ponzu sauce; to serve shichimi togarashi (optional)

30m

Prépa

45m

Cuisson

Portions

Moyen

Difficulté

Un pot-au-feu japonais de poulet, boulettes de poulet, poisson blanc, tofu et légumes mijotés dans un bouillon dashi léger, plat emblématique des lutteurs de sumo.

#japanese#hot-pot#sumo#chicken#seafood#comfort-food

Portions

6portions

Ingrédients

Nutrition

calories430

protein46g

carbs15g

fat20g

fiber3g

Par portion

Étapes

Make the dashi broth

Soak the kombu in the water for 30 minutes, then heat slowly over medium-low and lift the kombu out just before the water boils. Add the bonito flakes, simmer 2 minutes, turn off the heat, let steep 5 minutes, then strain. Stir the soy sauce, mirin and sake into the strained broth.

1.8 liters water
1 piece kombu
15 g bonito flakes
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake

✅ C'est prêt quand : broth is clear, golden and fragrant

⏱30:00

Shape the meatballs

In a bowl, mix the ground chicken, egg, panko, ginger, garlic, scallions and salt with your hand, always stirring in one direction, until sticky and slightly elastic - this gives the tsukune meatballs their characteristic springy bite. Shape into balls about the size of a golf ball and set aside.

500 g ground chicken
1 egg
3 tbsp panko
1 tbsp ginger
2 cloves garlic
2 scallions
1/2 tsp salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : mixture is sticky and slightly springy to the touch

Simmer the chicken

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Add meatballs and firm vegetables

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Add fish and tender vegetables

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Serve

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Make the dashi broth

1.8 liters water
1 piece kombu
15 g bonito flakes
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake

✅ C'est prêt quand : broth is clear, golden and fragrant

⏱30:00

Shape the meatballs

500 g ground chicken
1 egg
3 tbsp panko
1 tbsp ginger
2 cloves garlic
2 scallions
1/2 tsp salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : mixture is sticky and slightly springy to the touch

Simmer the chicken

This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.

Add meatballs and firm vegetables

This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.

Add fish and tender vegetables

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Serve

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History & Culture

The Story Behind the Dish

📍 Tokyo, sumo wrestling stables (heya)📅 Late 19th to early 20th century🍲 JP

Chanko nabe grew out of the kitchens of sumo stables, where cooks needed to feed wrestlers large quantities of protein and vegetables to help them build mass while staying strong and healthy. One hot pot could be kept simmering all day and refilled with whatever meat, fish and vegetables were on hand, feeding dozens of wrestlers at once.

After their careers ended, many former wrestlers opened chanko restaurants, which brought the dish to the wider public. Today it's cooked at home across Japan as a filling, nourishing hot pot for cold weather, enjoyed slowly at the table with everyone sharing from the same pot.

⭐ Why It's Famous

It's the signature meal of sumo wrestlers: a single pot that delivers a huge, balanced amount of protein and vegetables, built for sharing and refilling.

💡 Fun Fact

Chicken is the traditional meat in chanko because it stands on two legs, like a sumo wrestler; four-legged animals are avoided by superstition, since falling onto all fours is how a wrestler loses a match.

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