“Okonomiyaki’ is a savory Japanese pancake, originally from Osaka. “Okonomi” means ‘as you wish’ and “yaki” does “cook”. As it is said, apart from flour, water and cabbage, you can add any ingredients you like. It is a kind of street foods, and if you go to a summer festival at a shrine or temple in Japan, you can find a truck selling Okonomiyaki”. Most people use Japanese yum to get a fluffy texture, but since it is not easy to find it outside of Japan, I learned grated zucchini gives the same effect and it’s been successful. If you don’t have zucchini, or don’t want to be bothered to grate it, please do not worry and just skip it, it is slightly less fluffiness but it should taste good still. I sometimes skip it too.
Once you make it, you will find what texture you like, you want thinner one, add more water, if you want thicker one, add more flour from next time. If you want more fluffy texture, add 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Our favorite combo of topping is actually very simple, just with cabbage, green onion and shredded cheese.
Ingredients
For base
100g of flour
120g of water
1 teaspoon of Hondashi powder (optional)
80-100g of grated zucchini
1 egg
300g of cabbage, chopped in small, or roughly shredded
Any ingredients you like, such as
Thin sliced pork, bacon, prawns, squid, boiled octopus
Red pickled ginger
Shredded cheese
Chopped green onion
Mochi (cut in 1cm cubes)
Topping
“Okonomiyaki” sauce * If you don’t have it, mix 1 tablespoon of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce.
Mayonnaise
Dried bonito flakes, “Aonori”(green seaweed) powder (optional, I tend to skip these as it is not easy to find these around my place)
Instruction
1. In a large bowl, mix flour, Hondashi powder (if you have), egg and water, and mix with a folk. If you use baking powder, mix at this step.
2. Add and mix grated zucchini. If you don’t have it, skip this step.
3. Add chopped cabbage, and mix. Do not over mix. If you use prawns, squid, octopus, green onion, red ginger, cheese or mochi, add and mix at this step. Basically add any ingredients apart from sliced meat. Make sure all the ingredients are coated by the flour mixture.
4. Heat a large fry pan and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Pour the mixture with about 3cm height.
5. Spread sliced pork or bacon on the top surface if you use pork or bacon. It should look like the meat slices are covering the pancake.
6. Cook for 3 mins at medium heat.
7. If you can see the edge around the pancake becomes dry, sneak peak the bottom surface with a spatula, and if it looks light brown, flip the pancake using two large turners. Cover and cook for 5 mins at low heat.
8. Check the side with pork or bacon, if it looks cooked and crispy, flip the pancake again and cook for 2 more mins.
9. Move the pancake to a large plate, and spread “Okonomiyaki” sauce on the surface, then add mayonnaise. If you like sprinkle dried bonito and “Aonori” powder on top.