Okonomiyaki recipe: This is how the Japanese pancake works

Savory pancake
Do you already know okonomiyaki? How to prepare the Japanese dish

The basic ingredient of the savory okonomiyaki pancake is white cabbage

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Okonomiyaki is not only visually reminiscent of a pancake – the basic ingredients are also similar to the German version: The “Japanese pizza” is made from water, flour and egg. However, it gets its special taste from special ingredients.

The dish is made up of two words: “Okonomi” means “taste” or “optional” and “yaki” means “fried” or “grilled”. Because many of the ingredients are variable, the savory pancake is also referred to as Japanese pizza – even though the two dishes have nothing to do with each other. The special thing about this delicious recipe is the okonomiyaki sauce and katsuobushi. These are dried tuna flakes. Below you will find out what other ingredients are needed and how the two versions, Osaka and Hiroshima style, differ.

Osaka Style vs. Hiroshima Style: The Differences

If you’re looking for an okonomiyaki recipe, you’ll probably come across two different variations. In the Osaka area, the vegetables are first mixed with the liquid batter and fried together. Only then do the toppings go over the Japanese pancakes. According to the Hiroshima style, however, the vegetables are layered on top of the already cooked base dough – depending on the region, even together with other ingredients such as fried noodles (e.g. ramen or udon), fried eggs and sprouts. In short: There is no right or wrong way to prepare okonomiyaki – the main thing is that you like it. Below we will show you how you can easily recreate a classic version at home.

Okonomiyaki recipe: step-by-step instructions

To prepare the Japanese pancake Okonomiyaki you need to get the following basic ingredients:

Ingredients (for 2 people):

Another note: You can either use ordinary wheat flour or a ready-made Japanese dough mix (Okonomiyakiko). It already contains all the necessary ingredients for preparing several pancakes (including flour, sugar, salt, bonito powder, baking powder and spices). All you have to do is add the eggs, a little water and the white cabbage.

This is how the Japanese pancake is prepared:

  1. Step: Cut the white cabbage into as small pieces as possible. The vegetables become even finer if you use a grater.
  2. Step: Mix the eggs with the flour and gradually add as much water until a liquid dough is formed.
  3. Step: Add as much white cabbage until you feel like the mixture contains more vegetables than dough.
  4. Step: Pour some frying oil into a pan and heat it up. Then add enough batter until the pancake reaches the desired size.
  5. Step: Fry the Japanese dough on both sides until it is slightly brown and crispy.
  6. Step: Place the pancake on a plate and decorate it in a grid pattern with the okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise.
  7. Step: Decorate the dish with the tuna flakes and the dried seaweed.

Bon appetit!

Extra tip: Of course there is one vegetarian version of the pancake. Simply omit the okonomiyaki sauce and fish flakes and replace the seaweed with spring onions or tofu cubes. Feel free to use a different sauce that suits your taste.

And one more note at the end: Of course, okonomiyaki is traditionally included rod eaten.

Source: Chef

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