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Chanko Nabe is a filling stew usually eaten by sumo wrestlers in Japan. Cooked in a flavorful broth and packed with protein and veggies, it's super healthy and comforting! | cookingtheglobe.com
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Chanko Nabe - Japanese Sumo Wrestler Stew

Packed with protein and vegetables, this Japanese Sumo Wrestler Stew (Chanko Nabe) is healthy and comforting at the same time!
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 572kcal
Author Cooking The Globe

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (450g) ground chicken
  • 4 scallions , minced
  • ¼ cup miso paste (see notes)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 8 cups dashi (see notes)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • ¼ cup sake
  • 1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs , cut into pieces
  • 1 large daikon , cut into pieces
  • 2 large carrots , cut into pieces
  • 2 large potatoes , cut into pieces
  • 10 fresh shiitake mushrooms , halved
  • ½ head napa cabbage , cut into pieces
  • 2 leeks , cut into slices
  • 8 fried tofu puffs , halved (see notes)
  • 1 lb (450g) udon noodles

Instructions

  • In a bowl, add the ground chicken, scallions, miso paste, and salt. Mix and shape into any size you like meatballs. Set aside.
  • In a large pot, bring the dashi stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and add the soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Stir well. Add the chicken thighs, prepared chicken meatballs, daikon, carrots, and potatoes. Cook for 15 minutes.
  • Add the mushrooms, cabbage, leeks, and tofu puffs. Cook for about 10 minutes more.
  • Meanwhile, cook the udon noodles according to package instructions. When done, add them to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Stir one more time and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. It's preferable to use white miso paste for this recipe because it has a milder taste. However, I wasn't able to find it and used a red one instead. It turned out great!
  2. Dashi stock is made from kombu (edible seaweed) and katsuobushi or bonito flakes (dried and flaked tuna). You can either find a pre-made dashi stock in an Asian grocery store or make one from scratch. I talked more about it in this Japanese Clear Soup post.
  3. Fried tofu puffs can be found in most Asian grocery stores. Be sure to check out fridges as well because that's where I found them (I'm still not sure why they were refrigerated, though).
Adapted from Lucky Rice by Danielle Chang
 

Nutrition

Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.9g | Protein: 58.9g | Fat: 23.4g | Cholesterol: 104.4mg | Sodium: 2192.6mg | Sugar: 7.9g | Vitamin A: 1650IU | Vitamin C: 81.7mg