Easy Okonomiyaki or Japanese Pancakes

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 10 to 30 minutes (depending how many batches)
  • Servings: 2 and makes 4 pancakes
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These easy traditional Japanese fritter-like pancakes are popular in Osaka. At home, they are a great for using up a head of white cabbage – or any veggies. Try zucchini and onion? These Easy Okonomiyaki are quick and foolproof.

Ingredients

For the okonomiyaki sauce

  • 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce|
  • 1 ½ teaspoons runny honey
  • 2/3 teaspoon dark soy sauce


For the okonomiyaki pancakes

  • 2 large free-range eggs
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour
  • 1/3 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 1/3 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 185g white cabbage, shredded
  • sunflower oil


To serve

  • Kewpie mayonnaise
  • Japanese pickled ginger
  • Togarashi chilli powder or furikake (optional)

Instructions

  1. For the okonomiyaki sauce: whisk together the tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, honey and dark soy sauce in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
  2. Make the okonomiyaki batter: whisk together the eggs, flour, salt, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil until smooth.
  3. Combine the spring onions and cabbage with the batter and mix well.
  4. Heat enough oil to just cover the bottom of a large frying pan over a medium–high heat until shimmering. Spoon some of the cabbage mixture into the pan into rounds about the size of your palm. Press down with the back of the spoon and fry until golden-brown on each side, flipping halfway. Transfer to kitchen paper on a warm plate to drain. Repeat with remaining mixture.
  5. To serve, top each pancake with some okonomiyaki sauce, striped of mayonnaise, pickled ginger and togarashi, if desired.

Notes

Lyndey’s Note: to save time, you could just use pre-prepared barbecue sauce rather than making your own. Kewpie mayonnaise is sweet, tangy Japanese mayonnaise in a squeeze bottle, available in supermarkets. Togarashi or Japanese “sprinkles” are made from chilli, seasame, seaweed etc.

Watch Lyndey make them here.

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