Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) – Japanese Savory Pancake

Ingredients

Pancake Batter:

• 500g Cabbage, shredded
• 500g Nagaimo
• 1 large Scallion
• 6 large Eggs
• 30g (2T) Kewpie Mayonnaise
• 15g (1T) Soy Sauce
• 15g (1½t) HonDashi Powder
• 125g (about 1 cup) All-Purpose Flour
• 35g (about ¼ cup) Cornstarch

Protein:

• 225-340g (about ½-¾lb) Thinly sliced Beef, Pork, or Seafood Medley

Other Essentials:

• Vegetable or other Cooking Oil
• Kewpie Mayonnaise
• Fruit and Vegetable Sauce
• Bonito Flakes
• Powdered Dried Seaweed

Procedure

• Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl.
• Peel the nagaimo and rinse the tuber. Grind the nagaimo in a food processor until homogenized. Pour into the large bowl.
• Chop the scallion and add to the other vegetables.
• Put the eggs, mayonnaise, soy sauce, and dashi powder into the bowl. Mix well.
• Lastly, mix the flour and cornstarch in with the vegetables. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
• On a medium flame, take a large fry pan with some vegetable oil, and ladle the pancake mix into, roughly, a 6-inch diameter circle, about a half-inch in height. Lay some of the protein on top of the pancake. When browned, flip over, and cook on the other side, and until both sides are crispy, about 5-8 minutes.
• Once cooked, serve with mayonnaise, fruit and vegetable sauce, bonito flakes, and seaweed; watch the bonito dance as you enjoy your hot pancake!

*Bunny Wisdom*

• I actually picked up a 1.2kg size of nagaimo (長芋 - *long yam*) and a 6-inch diameter cabbage, and cut each in half. I peeled and sliced the yam, and froze half of it for another meal. The other half of the cabbage was used in another recipe. If you can't find a small yam and cabbage, and plan to make okonomiyaki again (maybe the following week?), then this is the perfect way to portion each meal. Otherwise, feel free to pick up a small yam and small cabbage just for this recipe.
• Nagaimo is a Chinese yam that was introduced into Japan and Korea many centuries ago. It's one of the few yams/potatoes that can be eaten raw, though one has to be careful with the skin of these tubers. They contain oxalate crystals, which can irritate the skin; I wear a pair of disposable gloves when peeling the yam.
• If this is the first time you've come across nagaimo, don't be alarmed when you're pouring the ground yam into the bowl; it is quite mucilaginous (most plants are, but this one even more so), and very edible!
• Kewpie mayo is delicious! My hubby and I enjoy eating it more than regular mayonnaise for its thicker texture, and its savoriness. You can find this in most Asian grocery stores, and sometimes in your local supermarket.
• Dashi is a base for many Japanese foods, and we often use HonDashi/Dashi Powder to expedite the food-making process. We also use the powder to add flavor without adding extra liquid to a recipe. It's available in most Asian grocers.
• Letting the batter sit allows the flour to hydrate and the cabbage to wilt.
• I used sliced eye of round for this recipe, though you can also use beef rib eye or tenderloin. The same goes for pork. A seafood mix is just another way to make this pancake heartier.
• The cabbage and yam amounts are just a guideline. If it's slightly over or underweight, the pancakes will still turn out well.
• We made this batch for dinner (for 4 people, 2 pancakes each). I understand that it's often eaten as a snack, though, it's equally wonderful as a dinner! If you plan to make this as a snack, I suggest halving the recipe.
• If you have batter left over, you can keep it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
• The condiments are all available in Asian grocers. I often use Bulldog brand Fruit and Vegetable Sauce. Bonito flakes are shaved katsuobushi (鰹節, かつおぶし), which also makes great broth/dashi. Powdered seaweed is a great flavor booster, and great on okonomiyaki.