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Back in 2010, Tomiko and I spent all of April visiting our high school friend in Tokyo. Her mom had just left a day before we arrived, and she had prepared oden, a Japanese stew, for our first dinner. Oden is a stew that consists of a dashi-based broth and contains a variety of ingredients, such as boiled eggs, konnyaku (the grey devil’s tongue), carrot, potatoes, atsuage (fried tofu), ganmodoki (tofu fritters), konbu, daikon, and kamaboko (fish cakes).
Convenient stores in Japan are amazingly stocked – they have fresh, hot, ready-to-eat foods that are delicious and not junky at all. Stores like 7-11 and Lawson have pots of oden where you can fish out your own preferred ingredients, and pay for whichever item you choose. Oden is normally a winter dish, but as we were visiting in April, the weather was still cool and we were thankful for this hearty, filling stew.
- 3 atsuage (deep-fried tofu)
- 1 konnyaku cake (devil's tongue)
- 8 ganmodoki (fried tofu patty)
- 1 daikon
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 large carrot
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
- 8 dried kombu rolls tied with gourd strips
- 6 cups dashi
- ¼ cup light shoyu (soy sauce)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp sake
- Blanch atsuage in boiling water to remove excess oil; cut into quarters and then diagonally to make triangles.
- Peel carrot, potato and daikon. Cut daikon into ¾-inch rounds or half-moons.
- Cut carrots into ½-inch rounds. Cut potatoes into quarters. Cook all vegetables in water until tender.
- Rub konnyaku with salt, and cut into 1.5-inch thick pieces. Cook in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat dashi stock to simmering; add sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. Add konnyaku, daikon, carrots, potatoes, ganmodoki, eggs, and kombu softened and tied into knots. Simmer over a very low heat for about 30 minutes.
I love to read about all your adventures and travels. This stew looks fabulous. (found you Blogger’s Brag Party)