Japanese Okonomiyaki Pancakes (Printer View)

Savory Japanese pancakes with cabbage, shrimp, tangy sauce, mayo, and bonito flakes. Perfect snack or light meal.

# Components:

→ Pancake Batter

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 2/3 cup dashi stock (or water)
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

→ Vegetables & Add-ins

06 - 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
07 - 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
08 - 1/2 cup julienned carrot (optional)
09 - 1/2 cup cooked shrimp, chopped or cooked bacon slices (optional)

→ Toppings

10 - 1/4 cup okonomiyaki sauce (store-bought or homemade)
11 - 1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise (e.g., Kewpie)
12 - 1/4 cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
13 - 2 tablespoons aonori (dried seaweed flakes)
14 - 2 tablespoons pickled ginger (beni shoga; optional)

→ Cooking

15 - 2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable or canola)

# Method:

01 - Whisk together all-purpose flour, dashi stock, eggs, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl until smooth.
02 - Gently fold in shredded cabbage, green onions, carrot, and chosen protein (shrimp or bacon) until evenly distributed.
03 - Heat half a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
04 - Pour approximately 1 cup of batter onto the skillet, shaping into a 6-inch thick round. Cook until golden on the bottom, about 4 to 5 minutes.
05 - Turn the pancake carefully and cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes until fully cooked inside.
06 - Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.
07 - Place pancakes on plates. Drizzle okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise in a zigzag pattern. Sprinkle with bonito flakes, aonori, and pickled ginger. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The batter comes together in minutes, but tastes like you've been perfecting it for years.
  • One pancake can be a light lunch or snack, or make four and feed a small crowd without breaking a sweat.
  • Bonito flakes dancing in the steam from the warm pancake never gets old, no matter how many times you make it.
02 -
  • The batter should be thick, like pancake batter, not thin like crepes, or your finished pancake will fall apart when you flip it.
  • Don't poke at the pancake while it's cooking on the first side, that golden crust is developing flavor and structure.
  • Let each pancake cool for just a minute after you flip it so the inside sets without the outside getting too dark.
03 -
  • Make your okonomiyaki sauce ahead if you can, it gets better when the flavors meld for a few hours or overnight.
  • Use a squeeze bottle for the sauce and mayo, it makes those beautiful zigzag patterns and feels more intentional than spooning.
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