Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a savory Japanese pancake made with a variety of ingredients. There are a few key ingredients that must be used in the recipe, but you can pretty much add anything you like (i.e. different types of meat) to it. Hence, the word okonomi, meaning what you like. It is really easy and inexpensive to make, and great for parties. In the past, I've read about people making pizza for parties but if you're tired of that idea, this would be a great alternative. Like pizza, everyone can make their own okonomiyaki with their choice of fixings. Serve this alongside some ice cold Sapporo and you're all set! Itadakimasu!

I learned this recipe from my mother-in-law and I've made it again at home to test it out. It turned out great and I hope you will give this a shot! :)

Okonomiyaki Ingredients:
Yields approximately 4 servings
1/2 cup grated nagaimo (yam- click link for a picture)
5 eggs
1/2 cup dashi/water
1 cup okonomiyaki flour
3 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup pickled ginger

1 cup chopped shrimp/squid

Vegetable oil

Thinly sliced pork
Japanese style mayonaise (click link for picture)
Okonomi sauce (click link for picture)
Dried seaweed powder (click link for picture)
Dried bonito flakes (click link for picture)


Side note: All of the ingredients stated above can be purchased at a Japanese grocery store.


Instructions:
1. Peel skin off the nagaimo and grate. When grated, the nagaimo will turn into a thick pastey texture that resembles glue.

2. Whisk the grated nagaimo, 1 egg, dashi/water and okonomiyaki flour together. If the batter is too thick, add more liquid (dashi/water). And if the batter is too thin, simply add more okonomiyaki flour.

Okonomiyaki flour

The consistency of the batter should be thick and fall back into the bowl like lava. 

3. Add shredded cabbage, green onion and ginger. If using shrimp, peel and devein the shrimp. Chop both shrimp and squid, if using either or both into bite size pieces and add to the batter. Mix well.

I used an electric griddle to make the okonomiyaki. You can also cook the pancake using a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. I got my griddle from Zojirushi.

4. Damp a paper towel with vegetable oil and lightly coat the pan. I set the pan at medium-high heat.

5. Scoop about 1 cup of okonomiyaki batter onto the pan. Then, lay thinly sliced pork on top of pancake. Let the pancake cook for about 4-5 minutes.

6. Flip the pancake over and let the other side cook for about 1 minute. After you flipped over the pancake, crack open an egg for each okonomiyaki that you have made.

7. Break the yolk slightly with the spatula and place the pancake, with the pork side down, on top of the egg.

8. Allow the pancake to cook fully, another 5-7 minutes.

9. Top the cooked okonomiyaki with mayonnaise, okonomi sauce, dried seaweed powder and fine bonito flakes.

Enjoy!