In Japanese, Yaki means grilled or cooked, and Okonomi means "what you want" or "what you like". Okonomiyaki can roughly translate to grilled the way you want or how you like it. That’s true for this savoury Japanese pancake. You can add whatever you like! We like cabbage, carrots, chives, bacon, shrimp or mixed seafood in my house, and we top it with seaweed, bonito flakes, Japanese mayo and Okonomiyaki sauce.
There are two types of Okonomiyaki, Osaka style and Hiroshima style. In Osaka style Okonomiyaki, all the ingredients are mixed into the batter before grilling. Hiroshima style, the toppings are layered on top of the batter instead of mixed inside.
I make the Osaka style, as I prefer it over the layers of toppings.
Lien will try making Okonomiyaki for Kai, and we’ll post pictures as soon as she does.
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients
Batter and Filling
200 grams of flour - 1¼ cups
1 tablespoon powdered kelp (optional)
200 ml water
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cups of shredded cabbage
1 cup of shredded carrot
1 cup of chives
Shrimp - use as little or as much as you want
Bacon - use as little or as much as want
Sauce and Topping
Okonomiyaki Sauce
Kewpie Mayo
Bonito Flakes
Crushed Laver (seaweed)
Sliced scallion
Instructions
Mix the flour, salt, sugar, water, and eggs into a batter (and the kelp if you're using it) set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes. In the meantime, shred your cabbage, carrots, clean your chives and prepare your shrimp and bacon.
Take your batter out of the fridge and fold in your shrimp and bacon. When hot, heat your skillet, add your oil and a ladle full of batter and spread it into a circle, using two spatulas to shape your pancake into a circle. Place a lid on your frying pan, and cook for medium heat for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and flip your pancakes. Poke small holes into the top of your pancake to allow steam to escape. Using a spatula, firmly press your pancake down. Cook an additional 5-7 minutes on medium heat.
Top your pancake with Okonomiyaki Sauce and Kewpie mayo. Add the bonito flakes, seaweed and green onions. Enjoy!
Cost Breakdown:
Rice Flour - $1.59
Eggs: $1.66
Cabbage: $2.56
Carrot: $0.50
Green Onion: $0.75
Chives: $1.50
Shrimp: $3.50
Bacon: $2.75
Total: $14.81
Makes 6 pancakes.
Total Cost per serving (without the toppings): $2.46