Korean Odeng – Classic Lunchbox Banchan

Korean Odeng (also known as ‘Eomuk’ in Korean) is simply fishcakes. Though fishcake is not too popular in the West, Asia loves it. Each Asian country has their own twist on it. In Korea, you will find Odeng in soups, kimbap and as a banchan. Today, I will introduce you to a very delicious way to stir-fry it. Perfect as a side dish for a lunchbox or bento.

But what exactly is Korean Odeng made of? It it made primarily of ground white fish (Alaskan pollock, cod, tilapia, and others depending on the region) and wheat flour. The paste is then mixed with carrots, onion, salt, sugar and other added ingredients. Basically, you can see it as the sausage of the sea! If you traveled through Asia, you will see most Asian countries have their own version of a fishcake dish.

This stir-fried fishcake dish is a basic banchan in Korea. From school cafeterias, restaurants and down to the family table, you will see this dish served frequently as a starter banchan. The recipe involves a few ingredients and is easy to produce in bulk. Try it out at home, save any leftovers in the fridge and add this to your banchan repertoire!

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Korean Odeng

Yield 2 people

This stir-fried Odeng is one of the classic banchan in Korea. If you've never tasted fishcake before, this recipe is an easy and delicious one to try.

Ingredients

• Odeng - 250 grams
• Onion - 1/2 a whole
• Carrot - 1/3 a whole
• Spring Onion - 1 stalk

Seasoning

• Minced garlic - 1 Tablespoon
• Water - 1/4 cup
• Soy sauce - 2 Tablespoon
• Honey - 1 Tablespoon
• Mirin - 1 Teaspoon
• Sesame seeds - garnish

Instructions

Cut Ingredients

1. Cut odeng into 1 inch rectangles. Cut carrots into small half-circles pieces. Cut onion and spring onions into thin strips.

Stir-fry Odeng

1. Put frying pan on a medium heat. Once it is hot, place minced garlic in. Stir garlic in the oil. Then place in the odeng pieces. Stir odeng around for a few minutes until it gets a light browning on the edges.
2. Then add in the water. Stir around until most of the water has evaporated.
3. Then add in the soy sauce, mirin and honey. Mix it all around together.
4. Then add in carrots and onions and give another mix.
5. Turn off the heat and add spring onions. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Notes

• Watch video below for details

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