Okonomiyaki is a mouth-watering Japanese street food that offers a unique blend of flavours and textures. It is a cabbage pancake you can easily prepare it at home and enjoy the deliciousness.
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What is Okonomiyaki?
Okonomiyaki is a savoury Japanese pancake that is a popular street food and comfort food. The word "okonomiyaki" translates to "grilled as you like it" or "grilled to your preference," and it's made with a batter of flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, and other ingredients that can vary depending on the region or personal preference. It's typically grilled on a hot plate or griddle and topped with a variety of condiments, including mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce, bonito flakes, and green onions.
The origins of okonomiyaki can be traced back to the Osaka and Hiroshima regions of Japan in the 16th century. It was originally made with simple ingredients like flour, water, and grated yam, and was known as "funoyaki." As the dish evolved over time, other ingredients like cabbage, meat, seafood, and other vegetables were added to the batter. In the 1930s, it became a popular street food in Japan, and during World War II, it was a common meal for those who couldn't afford other types of food.
There are two main variations of okonomiyaki, which are based on the regions where they originated. The first is the Osaka-style okonomiyaki, which is often referred to as "Kansai-style." It's made with a batter of flour, eggs, grated nagaimo yam, dashi stock, and shredded cabbage. Other ingredients like pork belly, shrimp, squid, or cheese can also be added, and it's typically topped with a sweet and savoury sauce, mayonnaise, dried bonito flakes, and green onions.
The second variation is the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, which is often called "Hiroshima-yaki." It's made with layers of batter, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, pork belly, noodles, and other ingredients that are grilled separately before being stacked and topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and green onions.
There are also regional variations of okonomiyaki throughout Japan, such as the Tokyo-style "monjayaki," which is a thinner version of okonomiyaki that's served with a spoon instead of chopsticks, and the Kansai-style "negiyaki," which is made with green onions instead of cabbage.
Ingredients for Okonomiyaki:
1/2 small sweetheart cabbage, shredded (use 1/4 if bigger)
3.5oz of plain flour (100g)
1/2tsp baking powder
1 large egg
1 medium potato, 5.3oz peeled and grated (150g)
1/2 cup of stock (leftover Ramen, Dashi, Vegetable or Chicken stock)(100ml)
1/2tsp black pepper
1 spring onion finely sliced
1 small shallot, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves grated
0.35oz of fresh ginger grated (10g)
0.5 pound raw king prawns, cut into 4 (225g)
3 rashes of streaky unsmoked bacon cut in half
2tbsp of oil for frying
Ingredients for Okonomiyaki Sauce:
3tbsp ketchup
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1tsp sweet soy sauce
1tsp sweet chilli sauce
1tbsp of Mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
Toppings for Okonomiyaki:
Katsuobushi (Dried Bonito Flakes)
How to prepare Okonomiyaki:
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together plain flour, baking powder, stock, and egg until no lumps remain. Add grated potato and black pepper and mix well. Cover and let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes.
2. While the batter is resting, prepare the other ingredients for the Okonomiyaki and make the Okonomiyaki sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients together.
3. After the batter has rested, add shredded cabbage, grated ginger, onions, garlic, and prawns, and mix everything together.
4. Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil. Pour quarter of the Okonomiyaki mixture onto the pan and shape it into a round shape. Flatten it slightly and place half of the bacon on top. Let it cook slowly for 3-4 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown, then flip it over. Flatten it again by pressing slightly harder than before and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
5. When ready, remove the Okonomiyaki from the pan and garnish it with sauce, mayonnaise, and katsuobushi. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
6. Serve hot and enjoy!
From Chef:
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