Cambodian Hot Pot // Ya-Hon - Ann Le Do (2024)

When the weather gets cold, there’s nothing I crave more than staying in and enjoying a delicious hot pot meal. Hot pot is a simmering broth that sits on a burner at the center of the table, surrounded by plates of raw meats, seafood, vegetables, and noodles. Ingredients are dipped and cooked in the broth, then taken out and dipped in sauce before eating and enjoying. There’s such a wide variety of ingredients to throw in to your hot pot, making it a great communal dish to share with friends and family — everyone shares all of the ingredients, giving people an opportunity to try out different things, as well as enjoy their favorites.

Another great thing about hot pot is that it’s easy toprepare and very affordable. Only a fewingredients are needed to make the broth (which comes together within minutes)and the rest of the cooking is done during the meal.

There are many different types of broths from different regions of the world, but my absolute favorite is Cambodian hot pot (Ya-Hon), which isn’t typically served in restaurants. I first had Ya-Hon at a friend’s house, where I was blown away by the savory, spicy, creamy, and slightly sweet notes of the flavorful broth. It’s so tasty, you don’t even need dipping sauces! Since then, this is the only kind of hot pot I’ve made.

I’ve served Ya-Hon on many special occasions through the years — birthday dinners, Mother’s and Father’s Day lunches, a trip with friends to the Poconos — it’s even replaced the traditional turkey meal for Thanksgiving and Christmas several times.

This recipe has always been highly requested by friends and family. I’m so happy to finally share the recipe for my version of homemade Cambodian hot pot!

Note that this recipe is normally spicy, but I’ve included some tasty non-spicy substitutes if needed.

TOOLS

The main equipment for serving hot pot at home is the pot and external heater. A wide shallow pot works best so everyone can easily cook their favorite ingredients simultaneously. If you want to serve a spicy and non-spicy option, you can you use this dual sided pot. I use this countertop butane range, which can also be used for Korean BBQ. Another option is this electric cooker, which comes with a dual sided pot. Hot pot strainers are also very helpful in holding and scooping out ingredients. I use two sizes — this and this for larger items like noodles. Alternatively, you can use chopsticks or a small ladle.

INGREDIENTS

The list of hot pot ingredient options are endless. Almost anything you can think of would taste great in hot pot. I included my shopping list of favorites here.

I find it best to shop for ingredients at an Asian supermarket since some of the hot pot broth ingredients can only be found there. You can also buy thin pre-sliced meat specifically for hot pot (rolled and packed in plastic containers) as well as seafood balls, meatballs, fish tofu, and dumplings in the freezer section. For the quail eggs, you can use canned or fresh — both will work.

PREPARATION

MEATS

Suggestions: Lamb, pork belly, ribeye, brisket

Thinly slice meat. If you are using frozen pre-sliced meats, keep it frozen until ready to serve.

SEAFOOD

Suggestions: Salmon, seabass, shrimp, baby octopus, squid, clams, mussels

Pat dry seafood. Cut fish and squid into smaller pieces.

VEGETABLES

Suggestions: Watercress, napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, Chinese water spinach, dwarf bok choy, Shanghai bok choy, Chinese broccoli, carrots, squash, and lotus root

Rinse and dry vegetables. For larger vegetables like napa cabbage and oyster mushrooms, cut into smaller pieces.

NOODLES

Suggestions: Vermicelli, pho noodles, udon, glass noodles

Fresh noodles can be set on the table and cooked in the hot pot broth as needed. For fresh pho noodles, I like to soak them in cold water for 10 minutes and drain them, so they cook fast and don’t leave a starchy residue in the hot pot broth.

For dry noodles, cook according to the instructions on the package, then drain and rinse in cold water.

MEATBALLS/SEAFOOD BALLS/TOFU/DUMPLINGS/EGGS

Suggestions: Beef meatballs, fish balls with roe, fish balls with meat, fish tofu, dumplings, shu mai, har gaw, firm tofu, fried tofu, sliced rice cakes, quail eggs, chicken eggs

Defrost meatballs and seafood balls if frozen. The dumplings can be left frozen. Cut firm tofu into smaller pieces.

YA-HON HOT POT BROTH RECIPE

• 2 8.5 oz cans of Bull Head Hot and Spicy Barbecue Sauce or regular Bull Head Barbecue Sauce (for non-spicy broth)
• 2 cans of coconut milk
• 1.5 cans of coconut soda (I use the Coco Rico brand)
• ½ cup of Soya Bean Curd Sauce or soybean paste (for non-spicy broth)
• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (I use the Three Crab brand)
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• Set aside another 2 to 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon of palm sugar or regular sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/3 cup of crushed toasted peanuts (optional)

1. In a pot, add coconut milk and bring to a light boil on medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent burning.
2. Add the barbecue sauce and stir to combine.
3. Then add the Soya Bean Curd Sauce, coconut soda, and chicken broth. Stir to combine and bring to a light boil.
4. Add fish sauce and sugar, then adjust to your taste. Lightly simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add the crushed toasted peanuts if using.
6. In another pot, heat up the other 2 cups of chicken broth in a separate pot and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn off the flame and cover. Add to the hot pot broth when needed.

HOW TO COOK AND EAT

Set the hot pot broth on the heating element in the center of the table and place all of the ingredients around the pot. Once the broth comes to a light boil, everyone can start adding ingredients to the broth. Add the items that take the longest to cook first, like fish balls, meatballs, and lotus roots. Other items, like thinly sliced meats and vegetables, cook almost instantly. Keep in mind that you should only add small amounts of food at a time to not overcrowd the pot and keep the broth temperature hot.

Once the food is cooked to your liking, remove from the pot and enjoy! Add more ingredients to the pot when you’re ready for another serving. If your hot pot broth is running low, add some of the heated chicken stock. If you need to add more than 4 cups of additional stock, it’s best to make a fresh pot of Ya-Hon.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! What are your favorite meals on cold weather days?