If you’re craving a communal dish that’s ideal for warding off cold weather but doesn’t involve melted cheese, hot pot has your number. This version comes from Sophina Uong, the chef and co-owner of , an ebullient self-described tropical roadhouse in New Orleans. Although hot pot is traditionally a Chinese dish, it has a number of regional variations throughout East Asia. Uong’s is Korean-style, crowded with vegetables, tofu, tteokbokki, and kimchi-and-pork mandu. The mandu recipe makes more than you’ll be able to fit in the pot, which is a very good problem to have: just freeze any extra and reheat them whenever you’re in the mood for dumplings.
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Mandu Hot Pot Recipe
Serves 8
Ingredients:
For the spicy kimchi and pork mandu:
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2 ounces chopped cooked glass noodles
4 ounces soft tofu, patted dry
4 ounces chopped kimchi, moisture squeezed out
5 ounces ground pork
½ Chinese chive (or green onion), finely sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle (optional, for texture)
1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chile flakes)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
40 round dumpling wrappers
For the jeongol sauce:
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5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean chile flakes) — you can use more if you want fire
2 tablespoons Korean soup soy sauce (such as Chung Jung One brand)
2 tablespoons fish sauce (I like Three Crabs brand)
1 tablespoon of Korean plum extract or 2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups chicken or pork stock
For the soup pot:
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into ½-inch half-moons
6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 cups chopped napa cabbage
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut in half (about 2 cups)
1 (14-ounce) block soft tofu, sliced into 1-inch slices
1 bunch (6-ounce) chrysanthemum leaves, stems trimmed, roughly chopped
1 red (fresno) chile pepper, sliced (optional)
16 kimchi mandu dumplings (more if you want to be generous)
16 tteokbokki (cylinder-shaped Korean rice cakes, optional)
8 shrimp (optional)
2 cups chicken or pork stock
Instructions:
Step 1: Make the dumplings. In a large bowl, combine all of the dumpling ingredients, except for the wrappers. Squish it all together with your hands, shake your booty, and let the filling rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Step 2: Put a heaping teaspoon of filling (or more, if you have larger dumpling wrappers) in the middle of a wrapper. Using your finger, wet the wrapper’s edges with water. Fold the wrapper in half and pinch the edges together to seal. Bring the both ends toward the center and pinch them together to seal. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.
Step 3: Set aside 16 of the dumplings for the soup. Freeze the remaining dumplings on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid. Store in a sealed bag in the freezer and reserve for another use. The dumplings can be boiled, steamed, or pan fried.
Step 4: In a small bowl, mix together the jeongol sauce ingredients, except for the remaining 2 cups stock. Set aside.
Step 4: Make the soup. Arrange all of the soup’s ingredients, including the reserved dumplings, in a big pot, starting with the onions on the bottom and ending with the shrimp on top. Add the jeongol sauce and the remaining 2 cups stock. Bring to a simmer over high heat
Step 5: Cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer. Cook until the dumplings are cooked through in the center, about 10 minutes. Season the broth with salt, if needed, before serving.
Sophina Uong is the chef and co-owner of Mister Mao.
is an Los Angeles- and Atlanta-based commercial photographer and director specializing in food and product.
is an Los Angeles-based food stylist and recipe developer.
Recipe tested by Ivy Manning