Japanese Oden

What is Oden? It’s a Japanese stew made with hard-boiled eggs, daikon, fish cakes and dashi soup stock.

This is one of favorite fall/winter Japanese recipes and this oden recipe is easy, authentic and absolutely delicious.

How to Make Oden?

Oden ingredients are dashi, hard-boiled eggs, daikon, kombu (seaweed), and various types of Japanese fish balls and fish cakes.

Traditionally, the soup is made with homemade dashi or Japanese soup stock. Dashi is made from scratch with kombu (dried seaweed) and shaved bonito flakes.

However many home cook are using instant oden soup mix or soup base because of its convenience. The soup mix has dashi so the taste is authentic.

For the fish cakes, you can buy them from Japanese or Asian stores. There are a variety of fish balls and fish cakes, for example: chikuwa.

The fish cakes are usually pre-packaged and labeled, as pictured below.

My homemade Japanese oden is so delicious, comforting and satisfying on a cold fall/winter nights.

It’s one of the best oden recipes and tastes just like the ones served in traditional Japanese restaurants.

It’s a perfect dish to bring the entire family around the table, sharing the hearty soup for dinner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Add Miso to the Oden Soup?

Yes, you can certainly make miso oden by adding miso to the soup stock.

Where Can I find Oden Restaurant?

Oden is usually served in izakaya, or a type of Japanese restaurants cum bars that serve a variety Japanese dishes that go well with alcohol.

The dish is seasonal so it’s usually available in fall and winter months.

Can I Use Instant Pot to Make Oden?

Yes, you sure can. Instant Pot pressure cooker will be great for this Japanese stew.

Use the Saute mode to make the recipe. DO NOT pressure cook the ingredients.

Is It Halal?

Yes, the soup mix is made from dashi, which is seaweed and dry bonito flakes. Skip the sake and mirin in the recipe and it will be halal.

The fish cakes and other ingredients are halal.

How Many Calories Per Serving?

This recipe is only 157 calories per serving.

What to Serve with this Recipe?

Serve this dish with other Japanese dishes. For a healthy meal and easy Japanese weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

Chicken Teriyaki

Gyoza

California Roll

Tonkatsu

Yield: 4 people

Oden

Print

Oden is a Japanese stew made with hard-boiled eggs, daikon, fish cakes and dashi soup as ingredients. Easy and one of the best oden recipes with homemade dashi.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups homemade dashi
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 softened kombu strips, tie into knots, optional
• 12 oz (340g) Japanese oden fish cakes and fish balls
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 6 oz (170g) daikon, cut into wedges
• 2 oz (56g) konnyaku, cut into pieces or wedges, optional
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon cooking sake
• Japanese Togarashi (Japanese 7-Spice Blend) (S&B Brand)
• Japanese mustard (Karashi), for serving

Instructions

1. Rinse the fish cakes and fish balls with running water, remove the excess oil from the fish cakes and fish balls. Drained, pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
   
2. In a soup pot, bring the dashi, water, kombu strips (if using) to boil. Add the daikon and stew on low heat until they are cooked through.
3. Add the hard-boiled eggs, konnyaku (if using) and fish cakes. Add the soy sauce, mirin and sake. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve the oden warm with Japanese mustard and Togarashi.

Notes

Click for the dashi recipe.

You can make oden with instant oden soup mix, for example: Mizkan Bonito-Flavored Soup Base. If you use a soup mix, use 3 1/2 cups water and 1/4 cup soup mix, or more to taste.

There are many kinds of Japanese fish cakes and fish balls. Find those pre-packed for Oden.

Some fish cakes and fish balls are saltier and might make the soup a tad salty. Please add some water and oden soup is too salty.

Traditionally, oden is simmered for an hour. My version is the quick and easy version.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size

4 people
Amount Per Serving Calories 157Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 136mgSodium 668mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 24g