How To Prepare Okonomiyaki? Japanese Pancake, Vegetarian

• Food: Okonomiyaki

• Writer: Alice

• Content-Type: Food Blog

Weeknight dinners don’t have to be uninteresting, as this okonomiyaki recipe demonstrates! It’s quick to prepare, healthful, delectable, and a lot of fun.

Okonomiyaki might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about pantry meals.

We cooked our way through a ton of bean, rice, and pasta recipes over the past few weeks before realizing that we already had everything we needed to make this well-known Japanese street snack in our kitchen!

On vacation to Japan about ten years ago, I had my first okonomiyaki, and I have been a fan ever since. If you’ve never had it, it’s a Japanese savory pancake that resembles a frittata cooked with cabbage, onions, and various types of meat or shellfish.

Although this homemade version isn’t authentic, it’s nonetheless delicious, healthful, and really simple to make. You must attempt this okonomiyaki recipe if you’re searching for a fun culinary endeavor that doesn’t demand hours in the kitchen!

COMPONENTS OF OKONOMIYAKI

I was in Hiroshima when I had my first okonomiyaki. A thin flour pancake topped with layers of fried veggies, pork, seafood, noodles, and eggs is known as okonomiyaki in the Hiroshima style. It’s excellent, but it’s difficult to make at home on a standard stove.

Rather, my recipe is a parody of okonomiyaki in the Osaka or Kansai regions. The components are all combined in this manner.

The usual ingredients are cabbage, green onions, and a meat and seafood combination such as pork belly, octopus, squid, or shrimp. You won’t find any meat or seafood in my recipe because it is, of course, vegetarian.

As a substitute, I combine a ton of shaved cabbage, scallions, and panko breadcrumbs. Then I add a few beaten eggs to finish it off. It’s both incredibly simple and delicious.

TOPPINGS

After your okonomiyaki is cooked, it’s time for the enjoyable part: the toppings! In Japan, it is customary to top it with okonomiyaki sauce, Kewpie mayo, dried seaweed flakes, and bonito flakes. I enjoy using the following ingredients at home:

• Traditional okonomiyaki sauce contains oyster sauce, making it not vegetarian. Vegan Worcestershire sauce replaces it. I choose to garnish mine with Annie’s vegan Worcestershire sauce. Although it is fully plant-based, the ingredient list is quite close to that of traditional okonomiyaki sauce. This recipe is amazing with its sweet umami flavor. If you can’t find it, substitute a drizzle of tamari or soy sauce.
• If you can find Kewpie mayo, I highly suggest using it in this recipe. Because it’s created using rice vinegar, the Japanese taste in this dish benefit from it. Otherwise, Sir Kensington’s is my go-to because it also has fantastic flavor.
• I almost always have Nori on hand because it stays for months in the pantry. This recipe is elevated by the umami flavor.
• Ginger that has been pickled gives a sweet, tart explosion of flavor.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the pancake for a toasted, nutty bite.
• Additional scallions and microgreens — I can never resist adding fresh garnishes to anything!

Use all of these toppings, or pick a few. After that, tuck in and relish!

RECIPE ADVICE FOR OKONOMIYAKI

• Finely shred the cabbage. The best results are obtained when using extremely thin cabbage shreds. They won’t hold together effectively and will have a denser, less delicate texture if your cabbage is too chunky. Every time I make this recipe, I use my mandoline. If you don’t have one, coarsely grate the cabbage using a sharp knife or a food processor.
• Don’t over-compress it. Use a spatula to carefully press the mixture into the skillet until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Simply getting the loose mixture to join together is your only objective. Otherwise, your okonomiyaki would be dense from overpressing.
• Eat it immediately. The best way to eat okonomiyaki is hot off the stove, like many other egg-based foods.

OKONOMIYAKI

Making okonomiyaki at home is so simple and enjoyable! It has a texture that is similar to hashbrowns made from cabbage and has a frittata-like flavor.

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the cabbage, scallions, panko, and salt in a sizable bowl. Add the eggs and stir slowly. (Note: the mixture won’t be like a batter for flour pancakes; it will be rather loose and cabbagey. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes if it’s too dry.
2. A nonstick skillet should be heated to medium. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop the cabbage mixture into the skillet after brushing it with olive oil. (If it doesn’t appear cohesive, that’s ok; it will come together as the egg cooks.) Use a spatula to carefully press the mixture into a 1/2-inch-thick layer. Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until browned, lowering the heat as necessary. Repeat the process with the remaining mixture, cleaning the skillet as you go and adding extra oil as necessary.
3. Add Worcestershire sauce and thin slices of freshly squeezed mayo to the okonomiyaki. Add nori, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds as garnish. If desired, top with microgreens. Serve warm.

NOTES

*For thin, uniform shreds, I prefer to shred my cabbage with a mandoline.
**Cut nori into thin strips using scissors.