Oden is a comforting Japanese simmered dish made with ingredients such as daikon, eggs, konnyaku and fish cakes gently cooked in a light, savoury dashi broth.
This easy version uses Daisho Oden Hot Pot Soup Base together with Kibun No Kisetsu Assorted Fish Cake and Nishiki Ita Konnyaku, making it simple to create a satisfying Japanese winter meal at home.
The key to good oden is gentle cooking rather than a vigorous boil. As the ingredients slowly simmer, the daikon, konnyaku and fish cakes absorb the flavour of the broth, creating a warming one-pot dish that is ideal for colder evenings.
材料
Oden
- 1 packDaisho Oden Hot Pot Soup Base
- 1 packKibun No Kisetsu Assorted Fish Cake
- 1 packNishiki Ita Konnyaku Brown Konjac Block
- 500gDaikon radish
- 4Large eggs
- 500mlWater
- Japanese mustard (karashi), optional, to serve
調理手順
1. Boil the Eggs
Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 9–10 minutes.
Transfer the eggs immediately to cold water and leave until cool enough to handle.
Peel carefully and set aside.
2. Prepare the Daikon
Peel the daikon and cut it into rounds approximately 2.5–3cm thick.
If the rounds are particularly large, cut them in half.
Place the daikon in a saucepan and cover with water.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 12–15 minutes, or until the outside begins to soften but the centre is still slightly firm.
Drain and set aside.
Pre-cooking the daikon helps it become tender and allows it to absorb the oden broth more easily.
3. Prepare the Konnyaku
Drain the Nishiki Ita Konnyaku and rinse well under cold running water.
Cut the block into approximately 8 triangular pieces.
For a more traditional appearance and to help the broth penetrate, lightly score each side of the konnyaku with shallow diagonal cuts.
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and blanch the konnyaku for approximately 2 minutes.
Drain well.
Nishiki Ita Konnyaku is a Japanese konjac block suitable for boiling and simmered dishes.
4. Prepare the Fish Cakes
Make sure the Kibun No Kisetsu Assorted Fish Cake is fully defrosted.
If desired, place the fish cakes in a colander and pour over freshly boiled water.
This quick step can remove a little surface oil from fried fish cakes before they are added to the broth.
The assortment is designed specifically for dishes such as oden and contains several different styles of Japanese fish cake.
5. Prepare the Oden Broth
Pour the Daisho Oden Hot Pot Soup Base into a large saucepan or casserole.
Add 500ml water and stir gently.
Place over a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
The Daisho base combines soy sauce, mirin and kelp extract and is designed specifically for ingredients such as daikon, eggs, chikuwa and konnyaku.
6. Simmer the Daikon, Eggs and Konnyaku
Add the prepared:
- daikon
- peeled eggs
- konnyaku
to the broth.
Reduce the heat to low.
Cover partially and simmer very gently for approximately 20 minutes.
Avoid a vigorous boil. Oden tastes best when the ingredients cook slowly in the broth.
7. Add the Fish Cakes
Arrange the assorted fish cakes in the saucepan.
Continue simmering gently for another 15–20 minutes, or until everything is piping hot and the daikon is completely tender.
If the broth reduces too much during cooking, add a small amount of hot water.
8. Rest and Serve
Turn off the heat and leave the oden to stand for approximately 5–10 minutes before serving.
Divide the daikon, egg, konnyaku and assorted fish cakes between deep bowls.
Ladle the hot oden broth over the ingredients.
Serve with a small amount of Japanese mustard (karashi) on the side if desired.
ポイント
Oden should simmer rather than boil vigorously. Gentle cooking helps the ingredients absorb the broth while keeping delicate fish cakes intact.
2. Pre-cook the Daikon
Daikon takes longer to soften than the other ingredients. Simmering it separately first gives a much more tender result and helps it absorb the dashi broth.
3. Score the Konnyaku
Shallow cuts increase the surface area of the konnyaku, helping the broth flavour the pieces more effectively.
4. Add Fish Cakes Later
The daikon, eggs and konnyaku benefit from longer cooking. Fish cakes need less time, so adding them later helps preserve their texture.
5. Oden Can Taste Even Better After Resting
If you have time, turn off the heat after cooking and allow the oden to cool slightly in the broth before gently reheating it. This gives the ingredients more time to absorb flavour.
6. Adjust the Broth if Necessary
As the oden simmers, some liquid will evaporate. Add a little hot water if the broth becomes too concentrated.
7. Want to Make Your Own Oden Broth?
You can also make a simple broth using Yutaka Katsuo Dashi, Yutaka Mirin and Yutaka Reduced Salt Soy Sauce. Yutaka Shop Online recommends a starting ratio of approximately 20 parts dashi : 1 part mirin : 1 part soy sauce for oden.
FAQ
Q.What is Oden?
A.Oden is a Japanese simmered dish in which ingredients such as daikon, eggs, konnyaku and fish cakes are gently cooked in a light dashi-based broth. It is particularly comforting during the colder months.
Q.What is Oden broth made from?
A.Oden broth is typically built around Japanese dashi and seasonings such as soy sauce and mirin. This easy recipe uses a ready-made Oden broth containing soy sauce, mirin and kelp extract.
Q.What ingredients are commonly used in Oden?
A.Common ingredients include daikon radish, boiled eggs, konnyaku, chikuwa and other Japanese fish cakes. The exact selection varies, so oden is easy to adapt according to preference and availability.
Q.Why do you pre-cook daikon for Oden?
A.Daikon is dense and takes longer to become tender than most fish cakes. Pre-cooking gives it a head start and helps it absorb the broth during the final simmer.
Q.Do I need to boil Konnyaku before adding it to Oden?
A.Briefly blanching konnyaku is recommended in this recipe because it refreshes the surface before simmering and prepares it for the broth.
Q.Can I make Oden in advance?
A.Yes. Oden is well suited to preparing ahead because resting the ingredients in the broth allows them to absorb more flavour. Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate them and reheat thoroughly before serving.
Q.Is Oden spicy?
A.Oden itself is generally mild and savoury rather than spicy. Japanese mustard, or karashi, is often served separately so that each person can add as much or as little heat as they prefer.
Q.Is Oden vegetarian?
A.This recipe is not vegetarian because the fish cake assortment contains fish. Traditional dashi may also contain bonito. A vegetarian version would require both vegetarian ingredients and a suitable kombu-based broth.
Q.What is the difference between Oden and Nabe?
A.Both are warming Japanese one-pot dishes, but oden centres on ingredients such as daikon, eggs, konnyaku and fish cakes simmered slowly in seasoned broth. Nabe is a broader category of Japanese hot-pot dishes and can include many different broths, meats, seafood and vegetables.
