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Oden is a kind of hot pot consisting of daikon, potatoes, eggs, Konbu (kelp), konnyaku, and different types of fish cakes, simmered in lightly flavoured soup stock.
Oden (Simmered One Pot Dish)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

Oden is a kind of hot pot consisting of daikon, potatoes, eggs, Konbu (kelp), konnyaku, and different types of fish cakes, simmered in lightly flavoured soup stock. It is a typical winter dish but I cook oden most of the year except in the really hot weather. It’s that good!

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Japanese
Serves: 6
Ingredients (tbsp=15ml, cup=250ml)
  • 400g daikon (white radish)
  • 6 medium size potatoes, peeled (note 1)
  • 6 boiled eggs, shell removed (half boiled is OK)
  • 6 strips of 2cm x 10cm dried konbu (kelp) (note 2)
  • 1 block of konnyaku
  • 1 pack of 5 small chikuwa (item 4 in the fish cake photo in blog)
  • 1 pack of ball shaped satsuma-age (item 1 in the fish cake photo in blog)
  • 1 pack of flat satsuma-age (item 3 in the fish cake photo in blog, note 3)
  • 1 pack of 3 ganmodoki (item 5 in the fish cake photo in blog)
  • 1 pack of gobo-maki (item 2 in the fish cake photo in blog)
Oden Soup Stock
  • 1500ml (50.1oz) dashi stock (note 4)
  • 45ml soy sauce
  • 45ml mirin
  • 30ml sake
Instructions
  1. Peel daikon skin, then cut into 2.5cm (1”) discs. Trim the corners of the discs so that the edges are not sharp. This will prevent the daikon edges from getting broken when cooked.

  2. Re-hydrate konbu to soften. Then tie a knot in the middle of each konbu.
  3. Cut konnnyaku into 5 pieces crosswise, then cut each piece diagonally, making triangular shapes.
  4. Place each chikuwa stick horizontally and cut it diagonally with about 30 degrees in the centre. Please see the ingredients photo in the blog.
  5. Unpack two kinds of satsuma-age, ganmodoki and gobo-maki and place them in a colander. Pour boiled water over them ensuring that every piece is covered with hot water. This will remove excess oil and oily smells from them.
  6. If flat satsuma-age is large, cut into 2 or 4 depending on the size. I usually cut them diagonally to show more of the inside. Please see the ingredients photo in the blog.

  7. Ganmodoki is usually in a large round shape. I cut it into half.

  8. Add all the Oden Soup Stock ingredients into a large pot (note 5). Add daikon, potatoes (note 1) and konnyaku to the pot. Place a lid on and cook over high heat to bring it to a boil.

  9. Reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes.

  10. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, grouping each ingredient together, and continue to cook for further 10-15 minutes until daikon and potatoes are cooked through.
  11. Turn the heat off. If you have time, leave for 1-2 hours during which the flavour of the oden will penetrate the ingredients, particularly the daikon.

  12. Reheat before serving if left for 1-2 hours. Serve hot with hot mustard.

Recipe Notes

1. My potatoes are about 6cm in diameter. You can use larger potatoes but you will then need to cut into half and trim off the edges to make them rounder. This will reduce the sharp edges of the potatoes from crumbling when cooked.

If very small potatoes are to be used, add them to the soup much later than the daikon as they will be cooked much faster.

2. If you have left over konbu sheets from making dashi stock, you can use them.

You might find a pack called “nishime konbu” at Japanese grocery stores which are thinner and softer konbu for easier knotting.

You could also buy knotted konbu in a pack at Japanese grocery stores.

3. My flat, round satsuma-age came with 3 large pieces in a pack. You might find smaller round/oval shaped ones or oblong shaped ones (usually five in a pack). You might also find one large satsuma-age in a pack. Any size and shape is OK.

4. Please visit Home Style Japanese Dashi Stock.

5. You will need a rather large pot with sufficient room above the ingredients because the fish cakes will expand while being cooked.