Okonomiyaki お好み焼き - Japanese Vegetarian Pancake

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き o-konomi-yaki?) is a Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "how you like" or "what you like", and yaki meaning "grill".

Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with the Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan, but is widely available throughout the country. Toppings and batters tend to vary according to region. Tokyo okonomiyaki is usually smaller than a Hiroshima or Kansai okonomiyaki.

One of Alex's favourite meals is Okonomiyaki. I must admit I love them too.  Either a quick snack or a planned meal they are fantastic. They are jam packed full of goodness and a great way to use up vegetables.

While the traditional Okonomiyaki has cabbage as it's main ingredient and very few others, but you can, in fact, put anything you want into the mix and fry.  Many restaurants offer cooked pork mince, chicken, prawns, bacon, chinese sausage and even noodles - I guess the potential at home is endless.

Okonomiyaki お好み焼き - Japanese Vegetarian Pancake

(Recipe adapted from Okonomiyaki World)

Serves: 2

1 cup plain flour

2/3 cup Water (or Chicken stock)

2 eggs, whisked

Salt

ground white pepper

300 grams green cabbage, cut into strips

1 carrot, peeled and grated

100 grams fresh bean shoots

2 spring onions, thinly sliced diagonally

cooking spray

Kewpie Mayonnaise

Okonomi Sauce or Barbecue Sauce

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and water until smooth. Add in eggs mixing to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Add cabbage, carrot, bean shoots and ¾ of the onions and mix, but don't over mix.

Spray a non-stick frying pan cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add half the Okonomiyaki mixture.

Using a spatula flatten and form pancakes until around 1.5cm thick - approximately 30cm across.

After about 3 minutes, flip over pancake and cook for 4 minutes.

Flip pancake again and cook for 3 minutes or until firm and well browned.

Remove to plate and drizzle with Kewpie mayonnaise and Okonomi or Barbecue sauce. Sprinkle with remaining spring onion.

Eat quickly before someone near you takes your portion.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Okonomyaki (Japanese Pancake)

This is something I just had to try making especially with it being Shrove Tuesday yesterday but the idea of having normal pancakes for dinner didn't really inspire me although the kids would have approved without a doubt.
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I have read many recipes for Okonomyaki and like most recipes, there are so many different variations out there. Some with bacon, chicken or shrimps. Others with either grated potatoes or noodles. Ultimately I ended up making my own version of Okonomyaki or Japanese Pancake which I thought wasn't too bad and it got the thumbs up from Noel.

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Okonomyaki (Japanese Pancake)
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Serves: 4
Points per serve: 7
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1 cup plain flour
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 wombok, shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 large red capsicum, sliced
1 onion, sliced
150g bean sprouts
2 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
4 tablespoons barbecue sauce

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In a large bowl mix flour, eggs, garlic, ginger and skim milk together into a batter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir through wombok, carrots, capsicum, onion and bean sprouts until all coated with the batter and well combined.
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Heat oil a small frying pan and add 1/4 of the mixture. Cook over a medium heat until firm and golden brown on the underside. Flip over and cook the other side. Once cooked, remove to plate and keep in a warm oven and continue with the remaining mixture.
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To serve, place Okonomyaki on individual plates and drizzle with both the barbecue sauce and the mayonnaise.
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Honestly the potential of ingedients and toppings that can be used in this dish is literally endless and can be left up to your imagination. I cannot believe that this was as easy as it was to not only prepare but to cook. Go on - give it a go!