Okonomiyaki

Name: Okonomiyaki
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 120g All-purpose Flour; 180ml Dashi, kombu-katsuobushi stock; 100g Nagaimo, Japanese yam, peeled and finely grated; 2 large Eggs; 400g Cabbage, finely chopped; 30g Tenkasu, tempura scraps, about 1/2 cup loosely packed; 2 Green Onions, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp Beni Shoga, pickled red ginger, finely chopped; 200g Pork Belly, thinly sliced (buta-bara); 1 tbsp Neutral Oil, for the pan; 6 tbsp Okonomiyaki Sauce; 4 tbsp Japanese Mayonnaise; 2 tsp Aonori, seaweed flakes; 10g Katsuobushi, bonito flakes, a small handful

Okonomiyaki is a comforting Japanese savory pancake studded with crisp cabbage and topped with rich sauces, smoky bonito flakes and seaweed. Crisped at the edges and soft inside, it’s a customizable, dinner-friendly dish that’s fun to assemble and even better to eat.

Okonomiyaki is a comforting Japanese savory pancake studded with crisp cabbage and topped with rich sauces, smoky bonito flakes an... Show more

Traditional Japanese Recipe

Health Grade

C- · Balanced

Rating

4.4

Time

1 hr

Price

4,99 €

Calories

1181 kcal

high protein

low sugar

kid friendly

comfort food

Method

Rinse produce

Rinse the Cabbage and Green Onion under cold water, then dry them very well with a clean towel. A dry surface helps the pancakes brown instead of steam.

Prep the fillings

Trim away the tough cabbage core, then finely chop the cabbage, thinly slice the green onion, finely chop the Beni Shoga, and peel and finely grate the Nagaimo into a bowl. If the Pork Belly strips are thick, slice them into long, thin ribbons so they cook quickly and drape neatly over the batter.

Mix the batter

In a large bowl, whisk the All-purpose Flour, Dashi (kombu-katsuobushi stock), the grated nagaimo, and the Egg until the batter is smooth and thick. Fold in the chopped cabbage, Tenkasu, green onion, and beni shoga just until everything is coated; the mixture should look like a mountain of cabbage held together by a light batter, not a pourable pancake mix.

Rest the batter

Let the batter sit for 10 minutes so the flour hydrates and the cabbage softens slightly. Give it one gentle stir right before cooking, because the mixture will settle as it rests.

Heat the pan

Set a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and add the Neutral Oil, swirling to coat the surface in a thin, even film. When the oil looks glossy and slides easily across the pan, you're ready to cook.

Cook the pancakes

Divide the batter into 2 mounds in the pan and gently shape each one into a thick round. Lay the Pork Belly over the top in a loose, overlapping layer, then cook for 4 minutes until the bottoms are deeply golden. Flip carefully with a wide spatula, cover the pan, and cook for 4 minutes more until the pork is cooked through and the center feels set. If the pancakes are crowded, cook them in batches rather than squeezing them together.

Finish and serve

Transfer the okonomiyaki to plates and drizzle on the Okonomiyaki Sauce and Japanese Mayonnaise in zigzags or crosshatches. Finish with the Aonori and Katsuobushi just before serving so the bonito flakes flutter in the steam, and serve right away while the edges are crisp.