Osaka Style Okonomiyaki

Osaka Style Okonomiyaki
Share the food curiosity!

This Japanese street food is an Asian cross between a cabbage based pizza and a pancake.  A cooked cabbage patty with delicious toppings like bacon, shrimp, squid or octopus can be enjoyed. In North America, an okonomiyaki sounds a little odd, but don’t judge it until you eat it!

This week’s supper challenge, is “pizza.”  I was feeling a little bad for the kiddos, other households are enjoying savory cheesy goodness and I am making an Osaka style cabbage pizza crust.  Turns out, I could barely sneak a bite as they were coming of the pan. These Japanese pizza pancakes are delish!

Taste: WINNER – its hard to believe the patty is made from cabbage, the cabbage taste is very muted.
Texture: Crispy on the edges if the patty is still hot, could use another crispy texture, but the taste is great, I don’t consider texture

Osaka Style Okonomiyaki - Japanese Pizza Pancake

Osaka Style Okonomiyaki

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Okonomiyaki flour
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 cups of green cabbage sliced thin into 1” or 2” x ¼” strips (quarter the cabbage and remove stem)
  • 2 stalks of green onions sliced thin crosswise
  • Thin sliced bacon or pork belly

Okonomiyaki Toppings

  • Okonomaki Sauce
  • Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise
  • Bonito flakes
  • Flaked seaweed
  • Optional: cooked shrimp octopus, squid

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, use a whisk to mix okonomiyaki flour and water.
    Okonomiyaki Ingredients
  • Add green cabbage and green onion slices to batter. Quickly toss to coat.
  • Add eggs to batter and mix to coat all items.
  • Preheat a non-stick frying pan on the stove on medium heat.
  • Divide cabbage batter into three parts in large bowl.
  • Drop one part of the cabbage batter (1/3 of the batter) into the frying pan and with a rubber spatula, gently flatten into a 10” pancake about 3/4” thickness. Cook for 3 minutes (will be slightly brown and start to hold together.
    Okonomiyaki Cabbage Patty
  • Use two spatulas to flip the okonomiyaki over. Two spatulas help support to ensure it does not break.
    Okonomiyaki Cabbage Patty Cooked
  • Cook other side of okonomiyaki for 3 minutes (browned). Meanwhile, lay 3-4 slices of thinly sliced pork belly (unseasoned) or bacon onto the cooked side.
    Okonomiyaki Pork Belly laid on Cabbage Patty
  • Flip the okonomiyaki back, onto the pork belly side and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned.
    Okonomiyaki Pork Belly Cooked
  • Flip okonomiyaki onto a serving plate.
  • Toppings:
  • Gently squeeze okonomaki sauce along the outer top edge of the okonomiyaki.
  • Generously fill the inside of the sauce with bonito flakes and flaked seaweed
  • Squeeze Japanese mayonnaise across the top.
  • Enjoy and share the okonomiyaki hot! Its delicious!


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