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.
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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.
Pairs well with:
Oden Recipe
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.
Ingredients
- 3 cups homemade dashi
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 softened kombu strips, tie into knots, optional
- 12 oz Japanese oden fish cakes and fish balls
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 6 oz daikon, cut into wedges
- 2 oz 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
Directions
- 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.
Recipe 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.
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O'Ryan
Amazing, the food is delicious!
June
Just tried the recipe, this Oden recipe is the best!!! Just like restaurants.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying my oden recipe.
A happy cyclist
Wow! This looks really, really good! I have seen this package at the Japanese grocery market but I did not know how they used it. So thank you for sharing this recipe, so now I know how to make oden.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, now you can try oden.
Tony Lim
It look very delicious and I very much like to make it. but sad to said we can not get the ingredient in our country. Very very sad.
Karipuff
Hi
FYI if you add mirin and sake to the soup it will no longer be halal.