Winter Eats: Okonomiyaki

Cabbage

This simple Japanese vegetable pancake or Okonomiyaki uses seasonal cabbage and light flour to make it crunchy on the outside, and soft and savory on the inside - the perfect quick meal or snack. Add toppings like extra spring onions, bonito flakes, or bacon for a satisfying early winter meal.

Okonomiyaki - Japanese Vegetable Pancake  

Quantities for 2, multiply as needed
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of shredded green cabbage
• 3 spring onions
• ½ cup tempura flour or rice flour
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup dashi - see notes
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Light olive oil for frying

Toppings:

• Okonomiyaki sauce
• Kewpie mayonnaise
• Dried seaweed flakes
• Pickled ginger - optional

Method:

Shred the cabbage and spring onions into thin strips.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs, dashi, soy sauce, mirin, baking powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until smooth.

Add the shredded cabbage to the batter and mix gently until the cabbage is coated.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, pour the cabbage mixture into the pan, spreading it out into a round pancake shape.

Cook for about 4-5 minutes on one side until golden brown and crispy. Flip the pancake carefully and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes until it's fully cooked through.

Transfer to a plate. Drizzle with okonomiyaki sauce and the Kewpie mayo. Top with seaweed flakes, and pickled ginger if using.

Notes

• Dashi powder and tempura flour can be found at specialist food stores, you can use chicken or vegetable stock, and plain flour instead of tempura if you like.
• Okonomiyaki sauce and Kewpie May is now readily available at your local supermarket.
• Look in the Japanese section or spice aisle for extra toppings like furikake which is a seasoned seaweed and sesame mix.