Okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancake)

This is by no means an authentic Japanese recipe but luckily okonomiyaki translates to “grilled as you like it” so you can totally change this up! Play around and use any vegetables you like or already have in the fridge. The Chinese cabbage does work really well but you could go for grated carrot, white cabbage or try topping your pancake with sautéed garlicky mushrooms. The sauce in the recipe is a healthier option to buying it ready made.

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Total time

45

Cuisine

Japanese

Meal

  • mains
  • lunches
  • sides-light-meals-and-salads

Servings

2-3

Ingredients

Shitake dashi

  • 500ml/2 cups warm water
  • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms

Batter

  • 130g/1 cup spelt flour (or any other flour you have in the cupboard)
  • 220ml (approx.) dashi or vegan stock
  • 200g/7 oz Chinese cabbage, finely sliced or shredded
  • 1 tsp pickled ginger, finely chopped
  • 2-3 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • Handful of coriander including stalks, roughly chopped
  • Sunflower oil

Okonomiyaki sauce (or you can buy one that is pre-made!)

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce (tamari is GF)
  • ½ clove garlic, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp sugar (ideally coconut)
  • 2 tsp water
  • 1 tsp rice wine
  • 2 tsp cornflour

Topping suggestions: finely sliced spring onions, finely sliced red chilli, coriander leaves, spoonful of spicy kimchi, crispy onions

Instructions

  1. Start by making your shiitake dashi. Soak 4 dried shiitake mushrooms in 500ml warm water for 20 minutes. Put a bowl on top of the mushrooms to weigh them down as they will float, and you want the water to absorb as much of the mushroom flavour as possible.
  2. Prepare your vegetables for the batter. Thinly slice/shred the cabbage, pickled ginger, spring onions and coriander.
  3. Once the mushrooms have soaked for 20 minutes, pour through a fine sieve or tea strainer to remove any grit.
  4. Place the flour into a bowl and pour in 225g of the dashi whilst whisking (this will prevent lumps). Once you have a thick pancake batter add in the vegetables with a good pinch of salt and stir to combine. Set aside while you prepare the okonomiyaki sauce.
  5. In a small pan add the tamari, garlic, coconut sugar and rice wine. Stir and once simmering add in the cornflour, stirring continuously until it begins to thicken and then remove from the heat.
  6. Prepare your toppings – finely slice the spring onion, red chilli and pick the coriander leaves.
  7. Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, add a drizzle of sunflower oil and use a piece of kitchen paper to wipe the oil around the pan to make sure it is completely coated. Spoon some of the batter into a circle in the pan, flatten and press the okonomiyaki with a spoon to fix its shape and hold it together. Cook on a medium heat until it is nicely browned and then use a spatula to flip your pancake.
  8. Once cooked on both sides, spread/brush the top of the okonomiyaki with the sauce and then add any toppings of your choice.
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