Recipe Courtesy of Chef Paul Virant, Gaijin
“Try your hand at making okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake, at home! For me, it's one of the ultimate comfort foods and I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do. Let us know how it goes! (And come have one at once we open our doors again).” -PV
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 1 cup dashi
- 1/2 cup finely grated yam (best with traditional nagaimo found at Asian groceries)
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3 1/2 cup tempura flakes
- Vegetable oil
- 3 slices bacon, halved
For the okonomiyaki sauce (recipe by Namiko Hirasawa Chen, JustOneCookbook.com)
- 4 Tbsp. ketchup
- 3 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
For the garnish
- Mayonnaise or Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise
- Aonori (dried green seaweed) (optional)
- Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
Instructions
- Preheat griddle, large skillet or cast iron pan to medium-high heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine dashi, yam and eggs; whisk well to combine. Add flour and baking powder; mix well. Add cabbage, scallions and pickled ginger; mix well. Season with salt. Fold in tempura flakes.
- Make the Okonomiyaki sauce by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk well. Set aside (can be made up to two weeks ahead and refrigerated).
- Brush vegetable oil on griddle or pan and divide batter into 2 portions on the griddle. Spread out with a spatula to form an even circle, place 3 halves of bacon on each; cover each with a lid. Cook for 4 minutes.
- Uncover and flip pancakes. Cook another 4 minutes until cooked through. Brush okonomiyaki sauce on pancakes and add a zig-zag drizzle of mayonnaise or Kewpie. Sprinkle aonori and/or bonito flakes over all and serve.
