Oden (Japanese Simmered Winter Hot Pot)
Local name: おでん
In short: Daikon, eggs, fish cakes and tofu slowly simmered in a light dashi broth until they soak up the flavor, a winter comfort food served with mustard. It takes about 1 h 30 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 350 kcal
When the weather turns cold, convenience-store counters, street carts and home kitchens fill with oden, a pot of ingredients simmered slowly in a light, clear dashi. Daikon, hard-boiled eggs, konnyaku, fish cakes and fried tofu each soak up the broth in their own way, and everyone picks their favorites. The broth is gentle, and the sharp bite of Japanese mustard on the side balances it. Like a stew, it gets better when left to rest.
Instructions
- Put the daikon in a pot with the rice and cover with water. Simmer for 15 minutes until a knife goes in easily, then drain and rinse. The rice water softens the daikon and removes bitterness.
- Boil the konnyaku in water for 3 minutes to remove any odor, then cut it into triangles and score the surface with shallow crosswise cuts.
- Place the fish cakes and atsuage in a sieve and pour boiling water over them to wash off the excess oil. Cut any large fish cakes in half.
- Combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake and salt in a wide pot. Add the daikon, potatoes and konnyaku. Cover with a drop lid and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
- Add the eggs, fish cakes and atsuage and simmer gently for 15 minutes more. Do not let the broth boil hard, or it turns cloudy.
- Turn off the heat and let the oden rest for at least 30 minutes so the flavors sink in. Reheat gently before serving.
- Ladle each portion into a bowl with plenty of broth, and serve with a dab of mustard on the side.
Tips
- Oden is best made a day ahead. Cool it in the pot and refrigerate overnight, then reheat on the lowest heat. The daikon turns golden and sweet as it absorbs the broth.
- Other popular oden ingredients are beef tendon, kombu knots, rice cakes in fried tofu bags, cabbage rolls and tomatoes. Use what is available where you live.
Questions and answers
What fish cakes go in oden?
Common choices are chikuwa (tube-shaped), hanpen (soft and white), satsuma-age (fried) and tsumire (fish balls). Most Asian groceries sell them frozen.
Can I make oden without fish cakes?
Yes. Use more daikon, eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, tofu and kombu knots. Use kombu dashi and leave out the fish cakes for a vegetarian version.
How long does oden keep?
In the fridge it keeps up to 4 days in its broth. Reheat gently, because hard boiling makes the broth cloudy and the fish cakes tough.
How long does it take to make Oden (Japanese Simmered Winter Hot Pot)?
About 1 h 30 min in total: 30 min of preparation and 1 h of cooking.
How many calories are in Oden (Japanese Simmered Winter Hot Pot)?
About 350 kcal per serving, with 22 g of protein, 36 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 350 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 22 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 1400 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
