I can't think of anything better than a big pot of vegetables, tofu and noodles simmered in a sweet and savory broth. Sukiyaki is traditionally made with sake and dashi broth. My local Asian market didn't have vegan dashi (and I don't like kombu) so I used mushroom broth instead. No sake? Use white wine, cooking sherry or rice wine. Choose whatever vegetables you prefer, in any configuration, as the only restriction to this delicious hot pot is the size of your pot. So easy, so yum.
INGREDIENTS
1.5 cups broth/dashi/kombu
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup white wine/sake/cooking sherry
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
14 oz firm tofu, pressed, dried, sliced into 16 pieces
4-5 small king oyster mushrooms, halved lengthwise
6 scallions, whites cut into 2" slices, greens chopped
1 carrot, sliced
6 shiitake mushrooms, destemmed
4 oz enoki mushrooms, base removed
6 mini/baby bok choy
1 cup napa cabbage, sliced
8 knotted yam noodles(konjac), or vermicelli
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine broth, sugar, wine, soy sauce and mirin. Wisk until sugar disolves.
2. In an extra large lidded skillet/pot over medium-high heat with 2 Tbsp oil, add tofu and king oyster mushrooms. Cook 3 minutes, flip over. Make room for scallion whites and cook 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the broth mixture and cook for 30 seconds then pour in remaining broth.
3. Stack tofu to make room in the pot for the remaining vegetables and noodles. Add everything except the scallion greens. Bring to boil, cover then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 10 minutes. Taste and check tenderness of vegetables and cook a few more minutes if needed. Mine was done in 10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle scallion greens over hot pot. Serve family style.
Recipe adapted from Chez Jorge