Okonomiyaki – Japanese Pancake
More than 5 years ago I posted this recipe on my old blog. My husband and I had been to the market at The Rocks and that is where I first discovered Okonomiyaki – and what a great discovery that was!
Okonomiyaki is a savoury Japanese style pancake that is made with a batter, shredded cabbage, other fresh grated/sliced vegetables and often some type of meat/seafood (batters and fillings vary between the different regions of Japan). They are typically served topped with mayonnaise, a Japanese style barbecue sauce and are sprinkled with bonito flakes which appear to ‘dance’ as they move around in the heat rising from the pancake.
okonomiyaki ingredients
I love them because they taste delicious, are packed full of vegetables (which I am a huge fan of) and they are so quick and easy to make.
You don’t need any special equipment, you don’t need to spend hours preparing or cleaning up after, you can use whatever vegies you have in your fridge and they are really straightforward – if you can make pancakes, you can make these…
first make a ‘pancake’ batter, then add vegies
use as is or add tofu, mince or seafood for a protein boost
They can be eaten as a decent sized snack which fills you up, but doesn’t leave you feeling heavy (great for kids after school).
They also make a tasty lunch or light dinner, but today, I ate them for breakfast!!
Here is my new, improved, updated version of the Japanese (Vegetable) Pancake “Okonomiyaki”
YUM!
- 300 grams (approx ¼ of a) cabbage, shredded (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup (110 grams) green beans, sliced into 3cm lengths
- ½ small red capsicum, sliced
- 1 medium zucchini (150 grams), halved length-ways and sliced thinly
- 1 medium carrot (130 grams), grated
- ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup wholemeal flour
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- tofu, mince or seafood, optional
- To serve:
- sweet chilli sauce
- Prepare the vegetables and set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, then gradually add flour. Add the stock slowly and when fully mixed in and smooth, add the pepper.
- Add vegetables into the batter and using a large spoon, mix well (and add tofu, mince or seafood if using)
- Heat a medium fry-pan (with a lid) over medium heat.
- When hot, add a drizzle of oil and swish around to spread across base of pan.
- Using a large spoon, spoon about ¾ cup of mixture into pan and flatten slightly with the back of a spatula. If you can fit more into the pan, do so, but leave some room between them so you can get a spatula under to flip them.
- Place the lid on the pan and cook over low heat until golden brown about 3-4 minutes.
- Carefully flip pancake over and cook other side for 3-4 more minutes.
- Repeat with remaining batter.
- Eat while still warm
okonomiyaki cooking
Looks amazing! I am going to try this today.
I just discovered your site, and I am so happy!
Hi Tolu – oh thanks, you’ve made my day 🙂 These are one of my favourites as they are so tasty! Let me know how you go 🙂 Caroline