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Oden (Japanese Hot Pot)

Discover the secrets to making exquisite Oden at home。 This detailed guide covers everything from preparing classic ingredients and a professional-grade broth recipe to controlling simmer heat and the perfect timing for adding ingredients. Master the art of infusing flavor and create an Oden dish the whole family will love.

📖Cooking Basics

miso（ramen）

Steps

Peel 2/3 Daikon radish thickly. It's best to use a knife to peel it in a circular motion rather than a peeler. Key Tip! Peel thickly, removing the tough inner fibers along with the skin, to avoid a fibrous texture.
🕒 00:53
If the daikon is large, cut it in half and then into semi-circular pieces. If you're adding it whole, make 1cm deep cross-shaped cuts on one side to help the flavor penetrate better.
🕒 01:32
Place the cut daikon in a pot, add rice bran water or cold water to cover, and bring to a boil for parboiling. Key Tip! Using rice bran water helps to reduce the bitterness and odor of the daikon.
🕒 01:55
Prepare approx. 400g total of tubers like Potatoes or Taro, and cut them into 2-3 pieces so they are roughly the same size.
🕒 02:40
Place the potatoes and taro in the same pot and boil them from cold water.
🕒 03:00
Boil 4-5 Eggs in water, simmering for about 10-11 minutes after boiling. Peel them once cooked.
🕒 03:30
Cut 1-2 Konjac cakes into bite-sized pieces. Here, they are cut into 4 portions, then diagonally to form triangles.
🕒 03:42
Place the cut konjac in a bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp Salt, let it absorb for about 5 minutes. Key Tip! This pre-treatment removes any unpleasant smell from the konjac.
🕒 04:04
Boil the salted konjac in boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain.
🕒 04:37
Cut 2 Fried Tofu Pouch (Atsuage) and your preferred fish cakes (2 Grilled Chikuwa, 4-5 Satsuma-age, 4-5 Gobo-ten) into bite-sized pieces.
🕒 04:44
If you want a refined Oden, arrange the cut atsuage and fish cakes on a sieve and pour hot water over them. If you want to preserve the savory flavor of the oil, skip this step.
🕒 05:15
Cut Cooked Octopus (to taste) into bite-sized pieces and parboil for about 1 minute to prevent its color from bleeding into the broth.
🕒 05:41
Cut Cooked Beef Tendon (to taste) into small pieces and skewer them onto bamboo skewers. Key Tip! To ensure they don't slip off during simmering or eating, use larger or tougher pieces of tendon for the end of the skewer.
🕒 05:56
Prepare Ginkgo nuts (to taste), and skewer 2-3 nuts per toothpick.
🕒 06:25
Get a large pot and add 1500ml Dashi Broth.
🕒 06:43
Add 4 tbsp Mirin (60ml), 4 tbsp Soy Sauce (60ml), 1 tbsp Sugar, and 1/3 tsp Salt to the pot in order. Key Tip! Using light soy sauce will result in a lighter broth color, making the ingredients look more appealing.
🕒 07:09
Gently mix the seasonings with chopsticks.
🕒 07:46
Add the pre-treated daikon, atsuage, konjac, potatoes, and boiled eggs to the pot as the first set of ingredients to simmer. Key Tip! Prioritize ingredients that need to absorb flavor deeply or those that won't fall apart with long simmering.
🕒 08:12
Place the pot over heat, and once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer for 50 minutes. Skimming is not necessary as the ingredients have been pre-treated.
🕒 09:07
After simmering for 50 minutes, add the fish cakes, cooked octopus, cooked taro, beef tendon, and ginkgo nuts to the pot.
🕒 09:33
Once all ingredients are added, simmer for another 10 minutes.
🕒 09:59
After simmering for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool down once. Key Tip! Simmered dishes absorb flavor better as the broth cools, so allowing it to cool will ensure deeper flavor penetration.
🕒 10:15
Once the Oden has completely cooled and the flavors have infused, gently reheat it over low heat before serving.
🕒 10:47
Serve with optional condiments like Japanese mustard, yuzu pepper, or miso sauce. Enjoy!
🕒 11:13