Japanese Okonomiyaki
The batter in okonomiyaki is a binder, not a base — the cabbage is the dish. The right ratio is one cup of batter to four cups of cut cabbage. Extra batter turns it into a heavy pancake instead of a light, airy layer.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Calories
- 380
Photo: Joli Rumi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Okonomiyaki means 'grill it how you like', because it is made with whatever is to hand. Cabbage and a light batter on a griddle, topped with a sweet-savoury sauce, lines of mayonnaise, and bonito flakes that wave in the steam. Osaka's most famous street food.
Method
-
1
The batter
Mix the flour, cold dashi, eggs, salt and baking powder into a smooth loose batter and chill it for 15 minutes.
⏱ 18 min -
2
The cabbage
Cut the cabbage into thin slices (not grated) 2-3 cm long. That coarse cut is what gives the crisp interior texture.
⏱ 10 min -
3
Combine
Fold the cabbage and spring onion lightly into the batter just before cooking. The cabbage should be lightly coated, not drowned.
⏱ 3 min -
4
Cook
On a greased griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat, pour in a third of the mixture and shape it into a disc 2 cm thick. Lay the prawns or beef on top.
⏱ 2 min -
5
First side
Cover and leave it 5 minutes without pressing it. Pressing drives the air out and makes it dense.
⏱ 5 min -
6
Flip
Flip it carefully (using a plate or two pans) and cover for another 5 minutes.
⏱ 6 min -
7
Serve
Mix the sauce ingredients and brush the top, pipe lines of mayonnaise, and scatter the bonito flakes and seaweed. The bonito will wave in the steam.
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Tips that actually matter
- Do not press the disc on the griddle — pressing drives out the air and makes it heavy.
- Cabbage in coarse slices, not grated — grated releases water and thins the batter.
- Fold the cabbage into the batter right before cooking, not ahead of time.
- Little batter and lots of cabbage — the cabbage is the dish, not the batter.
People also ask
What are bonito flakes?
Very thin shavings of dried, smoked bonito fish. They wave over the hot dish because of the steam — a signature moment of the dish. Optional if unavailable.
What replaces okonomiyaki sauce?
The recipe above (ketchup + soy + Worcestershire + honey) is a very close substitute for the bottled sauce.
Can it be vegetarian?
Easily — leave out the protein and the bonito, and add mushrooms and sweetcorn. The dish is essentially cabbage anyway.
Cook mode
Japanese Okonomiyaki
-
1
The batter
Mix the flour, cold dashi, eggs, salt and baking powder into a smooth loose batter and chill it for 15 minutes.
-
2
The cabbage
Cut the cabbage into thin slices (not grated) 2-3 cm long. That coarse cut is what gives the crisp interior texture.
-
3
Combine
Fold the cabbage and spring onion lightly into the batter just before cooking. The cabbage should be lightly coated, not drowned.
-
4
Cook
On a greased griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat, pour in a third of the mixture and shape it into a disc 2 cm thick. Lay the prawns or beef on top.
-
5
First side
Cover and leave it 5 minutes without pressing it. Pressing drives the air out and makes it dense.
-
6
Flip
Flip it carefully (using a plate or two pans) and cover for another 5 minutes.
-
7
Serve
Mix the sauce ingredients and brush the top, pipe lines of mayonnaise, and scatter the bonito flakes and seaweed. The bonito will wave in the steam.
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