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Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki

Learn how to make Okonomiyaki, Osaka’s savory cabbage pancake! This fun, customizable Japanese street food is perfect for dinner and parties.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Calories: 725
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 5.6 oz nagaimo/yamaimo (mountain yam) ((2–3 inches 5–8 cm))
  • 3/4 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock)
  • 1/2 head green cabbage ((large; 1.4 lb 640 g))
  • 1/4 cup pickled red ginger
  • 1/2 lb sliced pork belly
  • 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
  • 1/2 cup tenkasu/agedama (tempura scraps)
  • neutral oil ((for cooking the okonomiyaki))
  • okonomiyaki sauce
  • toppings of your choice

Equipment

  • Salad spinner
  • Large nonstick skillet, 12-inch minimum
  • Two spatulas

Method
 

  1. Mix the batter base
    Whisk the flour, grated nagaimo, and dashi together in a large bowl until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Resting relaxes the gluten in the flour and produces a lighter, fluffier pancake. Skipping the rest produces a slightly denser result, which still tastes good but doesn't reach the airy texture of a properly rested batter.
  2. Prep and dry the cabbage
    Chop the cabbage into small, uniform pieces roughly half an inch square. Spin it completely dry in a salad spinner or press it between two clean kitchen towels. Wet cabbage turns the batter liquid during cooking and prevents the pancake from setting firmly enough to flip.
  3. Combine the full batter
    Add the eggs, tempura scraps, and dried cabbage to the rested base. Fold gently with a spatula until the cabbage coats evenly in batter. Overmixing develops the gluten further and produces a tough, dense pancake.
  4. Cook the first side
    Heat a thin layer of neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in enough batter to form a circle about one inch thick. Lay the pork belly slices across the top in a single layer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes until the edges look set and the bottom releases cleanly from the pan.
  5. Execute the flip
    Slide one spatula under the center of the pancake. Place the second spatula flat on top of the pancake. Flip quickly in one confident motion. A slow, hesitant flip produces a broken pancake. A broken pancake pressed back together with the spatula cooks identically to an intact one.
  6. Finish cooking
    Cover the pan and cook the pork belly side for 5 more minutes. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 2 minutes to crisp the edges.
  7. Dress and serve
    Transfer to a plate with the pork belly side facing up. Brush the surface generously with okonomiyaki sauce. Squeeze Kewpie mayo across the top in a zigzag pattern. Scatter bonito flakes and aonori over everything and serve immediately before the flakes stop moving.

Recipe Notes

  • Nagaimo: I use fresh grated nagaimo in this recipe. Wear gloves during grating.
  • Dashi: I use instant dashi powder dissolved in hot water. Chicken broth works as a non-traditional substitute.
  • Cabbage: I use standard green cabbage, chopped small with a knife, dried thoroughly before adding to the batter.
  • Tenkasu: I use store-bought tempura scraps. Panko breadcrumbs substitute.
  • Pork belly: I use thinly sliced pork belly. Bacon substitutes.
  • Okonomiyaki sauce: I use bottled sauce or a quick homemade version with ketchup, Worcestershire, oyster sauce, and sugar.