(All Japan) Royal Road Chankonabe (Jumbo Tsuruta version)

This chankonabe recipe was apparently one that Jumbo Tsuruta enjoyed. I don't know whether this was his own recipe or not, but it's certainly associated with him. 

The recipe it was taken from uses huge amounts as the trainees were cooking for ten plus people. I don't recommend you make such huge portions unless you have a dojo of your own, therefore I have I just listed the ingredients and left them for you to judge. You don't have to use all the ingredients mentioned, the beauty of Chanko is that you use what you want. I do recommend that for an authentic taste you keep the soup base the same. 

There are two ways to eat Chanko. The more traditional method is in a group, whereby you reserve some of the ingredients and top up the soup once everyone is served. Or, if it is just you or just you and someone else, you can put everything in and keep the dish simmering as you come back for more. 

EQUIPMENT

1 x Pan 

1 x ladle 

Spoons 

INGREDIENTS

Beef mince (or if you prefer, minced chicken or chicken fillets, depending on how you want to do it)

1 x egg

Flour

Breadcrumbs (I recommended using Panko crumbs) 

Tofu

Spring onions

Enoki mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms

Shirataki noodles

Vermicelli noodles

Chinese cabbage 

Beansprouts

Daikon (Japanese radish), you can use horseradish as a substitute. 

Kombu (Japanese kelp), I recommend using only a small square cut out. You don't need a whole sheet.

Miso soup (red for a more spicy taste, white for a smoother)

Soy sauce

RECIPE

If you are using chicken for this dish, you can either cut the chicken breast into small pieces, or use the minced chicken. Mix the egg, the flour, breadcrumbs and soy sauce with the chicken or beef mixture. You don't want to drown your ingredients with the wet or dry, so I suggest you only use 1 -2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and keep adding flour and breadcrumbs bit by bit until you have a firm and slightly sticky dough. Knead ingredients together well.

Set aside for now.  

Chop your vegetables (Chinese cabbage, spring onions, mushrooms etc), put some of the spring onions aside for a garnish.

Grate the radish separately. 

Set aside. 

Fill a pot with water (you don't need to fill it to the rim as your ingredients will push the water up, so you only need about a quarter to just under a half), and add the kombu. Make a special sauce by adding the soy sauce and the miso and put in the pot. Mix well. Bring the pot to the boil. Once boiled, remove the kombu. 

Put in the noodles, followed by the chinese cabbage and the rest of your chosen ingredients, but not the meat. Scoop the chicken or meat with a spoon so they form flat round shapes, or else shape with your hands, and drop them into the pot. 

Leave to boil for about ten minutes or so, before adding the tofu. You know when the dish is done when the tofu starts to sink midway into the water. It doesn't need to be submerged. Garnish with the leftover spring onions, and serve. 

Keep the pot simmering as you serve the dish into bowls.