Chinese New Year is round the corner. And everyone's favorite meal is to eat steamboat.
Because it is the easiest to prepare. Don't need to wait for any late comers. Own time own target.
Cook yourself and jiaks.
So in this post, I will share you the tips and must have steamboat ingredients if this is your first time preparing a steamboat feast at home.
So how do you cook a steamboat?
The cooking process for a steamboat is relatively simple. First, you will need to heat up the soup base in a pot or steamer.
Then, you can add the desired ingredients to the pot or steamer and cook them until they are cooked through.
What kind of hotpot steamboat equipment should i buy?
There are a few things you need to consider when purchasing hotpot steamboat equipment.
Size of Pot
The first consideration is the size of your pot. You want to make sure that the pot is large enough to accommodate the number of people you will be cooking for.
Usually 28 inch to 32 inch.
For more than 5 pax. It is good to use the 32 inch pot.
Type of Cooker
The second consideration is the type of cooker you will be using. If you will be using gas, you need to make sure that the stove has an appropriate burner size. If you will be using an electric stove, you need to make sure that the pot has an electric heating element.
Type of Pot
The third consideration is the type of pot.
There are three main types of pots: aluminum, enameled cast iron, and stainless steel. Aluminum pots are lightweight and inexpensive, but they are not as durable as the other two types.
Enameled cast iron pots are durable and retain heat well, but they are heavy and expensive. Stainless steel pots are durable and heat evenly, but they are also expensive.Â
What are the Must Have Steamboat Equipments?Â
Eating steamboat, you must have all these accessories so that your steamboat experience will be more pleasant and easy to manage.
The Multistorey Container
If you gonna lay your steamboat ingredients on the table, is either you need to get a bigger table or a stackable container to save space.
This container comes in very handy to put your ingredients into 1 space.
Yuan Yang Steamboat Pot
Another must have for your steamboat meal is the Yuan Yang Pot. This is essential for people who cannot take spicy and another group want to have a mala soup base. So why not 2 in 1 right?
1 Tomato Soup Base, 1 Spicy Soup Base. No need quarrel.
Other Steamboat accessories
What are the Essential Steamboat ingredients?Â
Eating steamboat has always been so exciting! Look at excitement of HaidiLao. You know already.
Steamboat is a interactive way of preparing your food as you get to retain all the nutrients.Â
We’re going to share with you the best ingredients and spices that you can use for steamboat, so if you’re planning any steamboat meals in the near future, then this is the article for you.
Steamboat Soup Base
Nowadays, alot of people are turning to HaidiLao Instant Soup Base for their steamboat soup base. If you are a newbie in steamboat and do not know how to prepare the soup base.
HaiDiLao instant pack is something that you definitely can try.
HaidiLao pack comes in different flavour. But I will recommend the Tomato soup base and the Mala Soup base if you like spicy flavour.
Collagen Soup
A bowl of collagen soup is already considered a local specialty dish for some of the finest steamboat restaurants in Asia, but what exactly makes it oh-so-addictive?Â
Collagen is a substance that makes up more than 30% of the protein in our skin. One gram of collagen contains about 1.7 grams of protein.Â
It is often used as a thickener, stabilizer or texturizer in food and drinks.Â
That is why you always see Collagen broth use chicken feet or pork knuckle to prepare the yummy gelatine like soup base.
And nowadays we have them in instant packs as well. You don't need to brew them for 4-6 hours. Of course, they are not cheap also. 1 Litre of collagen broth will cost $20++.Â
And for Chinese New Year season usually selling very fast!
What are the different types of chinese hot pot steamboat soup base?
Here you can find those instant soup base. Very handy for your steamboat meal.
Order early to avoid disappointment okay?
- HaiDiLao Soup Base
- DeZhuang Soup Base
- Chu Brand Collagen Soup Base
- Imperial Collagen Soup Base with Abalone
Vegetables
Vegetable is definitely one of the category that you cannot miss out. During Chinese New Year, there is a demand for a type of vegetable for Tung Oh also known as Garland chrysanthemum.Â
- Tung Oh
- Chye SimÂ
- Bok Choy
- Big Cabbage
- Corn (To make the soup taste sweeter)
- Carrot (To make the soup taste sweeter)
- Tomato (To make the soup taste sweeter)
List of Vegetable Suppliers
These are the stores you can check out their vegetable supplies.
Meat
If you are not vegetarian, then meat is something you cannot miss out during your steamboat.
Most of the people will get those thinly sliced meat for their steamboat. Usually those higher fat meat like Pork Belly are the popular ones for steamboat. If you prefer less fat, you can get the pork collar.
List of Meat to get
- Sliced Chicken
- Sliced Beef
- Sliced Pork Belly
- Sliced Pork Collar
- Various Meatball
- Hotdog
- Luncheon Meat
Do I get frozen meat or fresh meat?
If you are able to get the fresh meat prior your steamboat then that will be good. However, because of our Kiasu spirit;
These ingredients are usually cleared till empty during CNY eve. So it is better you stand by the frozen meat. And you can keep in the freezer longer in the case you cannot finish.
List of Meat Supplier
These are the stores you can check out their frozen meat supplies.
Seafood
Another popular option for steamboat is seafood. Needless to say, prawn is the must have for steamboat. But there are the majority of people that will avoid prawn because troublesome to peel.
So if you have a hero friend that volunteer to peel the prawn shells for you. Then prawn is the choice.
If not, these are the list of seafood to get.
- Sliced Batang Fish
- Sliced Threadfin
- Prawns
- Sotong
- Fishballs
- Fishcake
- Cuttlefishballs
- Prawn Paste
- Cuttlefish paste
- Crabstick
List of Seafood Supplier
These are the stores you can check out their seafood supplies.
Tofu + Mushrooms
If you are eating steamboat, you cannot do without the Ling Ling Roll. It has been very popular since. And very shiok to eat when you dip in the soup (for 3 seconds) and put in your mouth. The salty salty, half crunchy texture.
- Fried Beancurd Skin Roll (aka Ling Ling Juan)
- Oyster MushroomsÂ
- Shiitake Mushrooms
- Enoki Mushrooms
- Button Mushrooms
Carbs
And of course, you cannot do without the carbs right?
- Instant Noodles
- Thin or Thick Rice Vermicelli (Beehoon)
- Tang Hoon
- White Rice
- Brown Rice
What kind of dipping sauces should I prepare?
There are endless possibilities when it comes to hot pot dipping sauces. Some of our favourites include soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, hoisin sauce, and black vinegar.
Feel free to get creative and mix up different flavours to create your own perfect dipping sauce.
Whether you like your sauce sweet and sticky or sour and tangy, there's a dipping sauce out there that's perfect for you.
Why not try out a few different combinations and find your favourites?
Soy sauce and rice vinegar make a great base for a simple dipping sauce. Add in some sesame oil, chili oil, or hoisin sauce for extra flavour, or keep it simple with some fresh herbs like coriander or scallions.
If you're looking for something a little more spicy, why not try a dipping sauce with chili oil and black vinegar? This combination is tangy, spicy, and perfect for those who love a little heat.
If you're after a classic sweet and sticky sauce, try combining soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar. This sauce is perfect for chicken or shrimp, and is sure to satisfy your craving for something sweet and savory.Â
List of Dipping Sauce Ingredients
The list of dipping sauce ingredients for steamboat as follows:
- Thai / Chinese Coriander - Minced finely
- Spring Onion - Chop finely
- Garlic - Minced finely
- Fried Garlic
- Sesame Oil
- Light sauce
- Seafood Sauce
- Chilli Padi
- Chilli Oil
- Sukiyaki Sauce
- Lime
- Vinegar/Black Vinegar
If you have guests that like to eat coriander and spring onion. You need to buy at least 2 packet of Thai / Chinese coriander.
My special recipe as follows:
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 table spoon fried garlic
- 1 table spoon sesame oil
- 3 table spoon light sauce
- 1 table spoon seafood sauce
- 1 x small Lime
- Chilli Padi or Chincalok if you have.
- Spring Onion/Coriander
What precautions should i take when having steamboat?
When having steamboat, it is important to take some precautions in order to avoid any accidents. Firstly, make sure the pot is on a stable surface and that the handles are pointing away from you. Do not add too much water or stock to the pot as it could overflow.Â
Be careful when cooking as the steam can be very hot. Finally, always wait for the steamboat to cool down before eating.Â
Always secure your wires properly to avoid tripping. The last thing you want is anyone tripping over the wires and spilling the hot soup.
Always prepare a wire extension if your pot is too far away from the power point.
In conclusion, home-cooked hot pot is a perfect way to gather family and friends together for a meal. Whether it’s during the Chinese New Year for reunion or simply a Sunday dinner meal, hot pot is a crowd-pleasing and flavorful dish that doesn’t always have to be reserved as an expensive restaurant treat.Â
I hope this guide will help you greatly to prepare your super steamboat and the must have ingredients for your Lunar New year.
And lastly, the super tip!
Use disposable bowls so you do not need to wash up so much after feasting.
