Ivan Orkin's Savory Pancakes (Okonomiyaki) Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is Japanese traditional food okonomiyaki? ›

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a popular pan-fried dish that consists of batter and cabbage. Selected toppings and ingredients are added which can vary greatly (anything from meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese). This variability is reflected in the dish's name; "okonomi" literally means "to one's liking".

What is Okonomiyaki? As a quick translation, okonomi (as you like it) + yaki (grilled) stands for a simple pancake batter made from flour, eggs and stock flavoured water (usually dashi), filled with cabbage and other tasty ingredients like pork, shrimp or corn.

Katsuobushi (Dried Bonito Flakes) – Katsuobushi is shaved flakes of fermented and smoked bonito and these flakes are super paper-thin! It's a super umami-rich ingredient that's used for making dashi (Japanese soup stock). When you sprinkle them on top of the okonomiyaki, they dance along with the steam!

Bonito flakes - known as katsuobushi in Japanese - are a strange food upon first sight. They are known to move or dance when used as a topping on foods such as okonomiyaki and takoyaki. It can be an odd sight upon first viewing if moving food makes you squeamish.

The word "okonomiyaki" is derived from "okonomi" meaning "as you like" and "yaki" meaning "grilled. It's commonly referred to as being a Japanese pancake. Accurate to its name, okonomiyaki can be served with a variety of toppings which include everything from meat and seafood to vegetables and cheese.

Katsuobushi (Japanese: 鰹節) is simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis, sometimes referred to as bonito). It is also known as bonito flakes or broadly as okaka (おかか).

Okonomiyaki flour is made of unbleached wheat and soy flours, leavening and spices such as kelp for flavor. It's designed to rise naturally on its own, meaning you don't need to add extra ingredients like nagaimo to get thick, fluffy pancakes.

Pancake mix: I use Bisquick, but you can use any other box mix, or make your own from flour and baking soda if you prefer. Oil or butter: This keeps the pancake from sticking to the pan. I tend to use olive oil, but any vegetable oil or butter will work. Condiments: The sky is the limit here.

Okonomiyaki is traditionally made with dashi, the essential Japanese soup stock, so if you have it, please use it in place of the vegetable stock. Half a regular-sized cabbage is all you'll need for this recipe and you could also substitute with purple cabbage.

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancake)

What kind of yam is used in okonomiyaki? ›

Yamaimo/Nagaimo

Japanese yam (either yamaimo which is mountain yam or nagaimo which is long yam), help give the batter a fluffy, bouncy texture. Sometimes people make okonomiyaki without it (just add more baking powder), but I prefer it since it really makes the texture much better.

Monjayaki (もんじゃ焼き, often called simply "monja") is a type of Japanese pan-fried batter, popular in the Kantō region, similar to okonomiyaki, but using different liquid ingredients.

Okonomiyaki is a savory Japanese style pancake and it's mostly divided into two styles: Osaka style and Hiroshima style. The Osaka style uses a variety of ingredients, including shredded cabbage, flour and eggs.

To flip, drain off any excess fat, then, working over a sink and holding the lid tightly against pan with a pot holder, flip entire pan and lid over so that okonomiyaki transfers to pan lid. Remove pan, then carefully slide okonomiyaki off lid and back into pan, browned side up.

Eat it right away.

Like many egg-based dishes, okonomiyaki is best hot off the stove.

Okonomiyaki has a delightfully complex flavor that is sweet, spicy (from pickled ginger), savory, and smoky. It has a delicious crispy, creamy texture. The ingredients and toppings combine to create a distinct flavor that will make you want to order okonomiyaki as often as possible.

There are two significantly different types of Okonomiyaki. First, the Kansai or Osaka style, in which the ingredients are all mixed into a batter and then grilled. Second, the Hiroshima style, in which a small crepe-like pancake is grilled and then other ingredients are layered on top.

In Osaka style okonomiyaki, all of the ingredients are mixed together and cooked together. In Hiroshima style okonomiyaki, all of the ingredients are layered almost like a cake. Soba or udon noodles are also added to Hiroshima-yaki in another layer as well. (Although they do add noodles to okonomiyaki in Osaka.

for serving:

Vegan Worcestershire sauce, (Annie's recommended) Mayo, (Sir Kensington's or Kewpie recommended) Sesame seeds. Pickled ginger.