This easy recipe on how to a make vegan tomato hot pot base will serve 2-3 people. Try to offer a varied selection of add ins, preferably with one or two items from each of the following categories: tofu/soy products, mushrooms, mock meats/seafood, green vegetables, hardier root vegetables, noodles, and dumplings.
Cuisine: Chinese
Equipment
Instant Pot
Ingredients
45millilitresvegetable oil(3 tablespoons)
50gramsminced onion(½ cup)
1tablespoonchopped garlic
2-3slicesfresh ginger
1 ½tablespoonstomato paste
1 ½tablespoondoubanjiangfermented broad bean chili paste
1litrewater
400gramstinned tomatoes (chopped)
2teaspoonssoy sauce
1 ½teaspoonssalt
1teaspoonsugar
½teaspoonMSG
¼teaspoonground white pepper
2large dried shiitake mushrooms
1piececinnamon
1bay leaf
1star anise
2-3green onionssliced
100gramsHandful cherry or baby plum tomatoes
Instructions
Turn instant pot setting to saute (low). Add oil. When hot add onion and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and ginger. Fry for another minute, and then add tomato paste and doubanjiang. Fry for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Add all remaining ingredients except spring onions and cherry tomatoes.
Pop lid on instant pot and cook at high pressure (sealed) for 15 minutes.
Should you wish for a smooth base then fish out the spices, allow the base to cool, and then blend it.
When you’re ready to use the base, add it to your hotpot as well as the spring onions and halved cherry tomatoes. Add additional water if you'd like a thinner broth.
Notes
If you don't have an instant pot, you can still make this on the stovetop. It will just take longer.