Okonomiyaki is a filling pan-fried batter cake said to have originated from Osaka. The name can be split into two words. “Okonomi” is generally translated to “as you like”, and yaki means “grilled” or “cooked”. Okonomiyaki can be cooked as you want it, because you can choose the toppings you add to this delicious dish. In okonomiyaki restaurants you choose what ingredients you want and you cook it on a grill set on the table. This simple recipe can be cooked at home on an iron skillet or a frying pan.
Batter
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup dashi (Japanese stock) or water if unavailable
- 1 egg
- 1/8-1/4 of a cabbage, shredded into thin strips
Toppings
All of your toppings should be sliced or cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Chicken
- Roast pork or beef
- Squid, Octopus, other seafood
- Corn
- Mushrooms
- Onion
Garnishing
- Katsuo-bushi (dried bonito flakes)
- Sakura-ebi (dried shrimps)
- Beni-shoga (red ginger)
- Ao-nori (green seaweed)
Sauces
- Okonomiyaki sauce (or tonkatsu sauce)
- Mayonnaise
- Place the egg, water and flour in a bowl and mix well.
- Add the shredded cabbage to the batter.
- Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the toppings you chose until almost cooked.
- Pour the flour mixture over the toppings in the pan.
- Cook for a few minutes, then flip the pancakes and cook the other side for a few more minutes.
- Place the pancake on a plate and top with the sauce and garnishes.
This recipe will only produce one or two servings, depending on how large you make the okonomiyaki. Some recipes suggest you to lightly cook the toppings and add them in the batter before you fry. The toppings added to okonomiyaki vary from region to region – those made in Kyoto use darker greens, and in Hiroshima the toppings are layered rather than mixed together. It’s best eaten piping hot with friends and family, so why not try making some over the weekend?