Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki was one of my favorite snacks growing up in Japan – my mom and I would go to the local okonomiyaki restaurant after we’d go grocery shopping. The “okonomi” in okonomiyaki means “as you wish” – in that you can choose the protein you’d like to have on top of this savory cabbage pancake. The most common would be pork belly. Other options would be seafood, mushrooms, or other proteins, like beef and chicken. 

At a traditional okonomiyaki restaurant, the wait staff will bring you the cabbage, batter, tenkasu (tempura crumbs), raw egg, and any other mix-ins you’ve added to your table in a bowl. The fun part is to mix it all up together and cook them on the griddle yourself!  

Nagaimo / yamaimo is a staple ingredient in Osaka-style okonomiyaki, and adds a lot of puffiness to the pancake. Unable to get it in your area, or simply are not into handling slimy things? Try replacing it with a 1/8 tsp of baking powder to the batter, or whipped egg whites. Or get a pre-made okonomiyaki flour, which has dehydrated nagaimo already in it.

Okonomiyaki is a relatively healthy dish, with lots of fiber and protein. Enjoy as a midday or midnight snack, or a light meal all on its own. It’s great with any beverage, too. 

For other Japanese pub / izakaya dishes, check out my Miso Eggplant and Agedashi Tofu recipes!

Note

“Why do I have to cook my own food at a restaurant?” FYI, a lot of Japanese meals are communal activities. From shabu shabu, to teppanyaki, okonomiyaki, yakiniku, and more, many places celebrate the process of cooking at the dinner table. It can be a conversation starter – it’s popular in Japan to have home parties centered around cooking dishes together as friends.

Gadget Note

The grater I use here is perfect for ginger, horseradish, wasabi, and other root vegetables you want to grate into a paste – it removes a lot of the woody fibers. Check out the link in the Shopping List below to get your own!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/8 tsp salt 
• 1/4 cup grated nagaimo / yamaimo (slurry) 
• 1/8 tsp dashi powder 
• Water 
• 1/8 tsp baking powder 
• 1 egg 
• 1/4 cup tenkasu (tempura crumbs) 
• 2 cups chopped cabbage 
• Sliced pork belly, or bacon, or other protein of choice (thinly sliced) 
• Bulldog sauce 
• Kewpie mayo 
• Aosa / aonori (dried seaweed powder) 
• Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) 
• Kizamishoga (salt-pickled red ginger) 

Directions

In a bowl, combine flour, dashi powder, salt, and baking powder. 

Grate nagaimo / yamaimo into a slurry. 

Add slurry to flour mixture. 

Add water and mix until it resembles a thick pancake batter. 

(Alternately, skip the slurry and use a pre-made okonomiyaki flour.)

Cover batter with plastic wrap and leave in fridge for a minimum of 3 hours, up to overnight. Traditional okonomiyaki restaurants let theirs rest overnight – experiment with resting lengths! Resting allows the gluten in the flour to relax, allowing for a fluffier pancake.

In a large bowl, add 2 cups of shredded cabbage. “Shredded” here is up to you – it can be thin shreds, or chopped up completely. 

To the rested batter, add egg and your preferred amount of tenkasu. Mix well. 

Add batter to cabbage and mix to coat everything thoroughly. 

Put half the mixture to a frying pan on medium heat.

Add slices of your preferred protein.

Flip and cook till cooked through and golden brown.

To serve, garnish with Bulldog sauce, Kewpie mayo, dried seaweed powder, and bonito flakes. Add salted pickled red ginger if preferred. Enjoy!