Osaka Style Okonomiyaki

This Japanese street food is an Asian cross between a cabbage based pizza and a pancake.  A cooked cabbage patty with delicious toppings like bacon, shrimp, squid or octopus can be enjoyed. In North America, an okonomiyaki sounds a little odd, but don’t judge it until you eat it!

This week’s supper challenge, is “pizza.”  I was feeling a little bad for the kiddos, other households are enjoying savory cheesy goodness and I am making an Osaka style cabbage pizza crust.  Turns out, I could barely sneak a bite as they were coming of the pan. These Japanese pizza pancakes are delish!

Taste: WINNER – its hard to believe the patty is made from cabbage, the cabbage taste is very muted.
Texture: Crispy on the edges if the patty is still hot, could use another crispy texture, but the taste is great, I don’t consider texture

Osaka Style Okonomiyaki

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup Okonomiyaki flour
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups of green cabbage sliced thin into 1” or 2” x ¼” strips (quarter the cabbage and remove stem)
• 2 stalks of green onions sliced thin crosswise
• Thin sliced bacon or pork belly

Okonomiyaki Toppings

• Okonomaki Sauce
• Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise
• Bonito flakes
• Flaked seaweed
• Optional: cooked shrimp octopus, squid

Method

 

1. In a large bowl, use a whisk to mix okonomiyaki flour and water.
   
2. Add green cabbage and green onion slices to batter. Quickly toss to coat.
3. Add eggs to batter and mix to coat all items.
4. Preheat a non-stick frying pan on the stove on medium heat.
5. Divide cabbage batter into three parts in large bowl.
6. Drop one part of the cabbage batter (1/3 of the batter) into the frying pan and with a rubber spatula, gently flatten into a 10” pancake about 3/4” thickness. Cook for 3 minutes (will be slightly brown and start to hold together.
   
7. Use two spatulas to flip the okonomiyaki over. Two spatulas help support to ensure it does not break.
   
8. Cook other side of okonomiyaki for 3 minutes (browned). Meanwhile, lay 3-4 slices of thinly sliced pork belly (unseasoned) or bacon onto the cooked side.
   
9. Flip the okonomiyaki back, onto the pork belly side and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned.
   
10. Flip okonomiyaki onto a serving plate.
11. Toppings:
12. Gently squeeze okonomaki sauce along the outer top edge of the okonomiyaki.
13. Generously fill the inside of the sauce with bonito flakes and flaked seaweed
14. Squeeze Japanese mayonnaise across the top.
15. Enjoy and share the okonomiyaki hot! Its delicious!