Name: Okonomiyaki Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; ¼ tsp kosher salt; ¼ tsp sugar; ¼ tsp baking powder; 5 ½ oz nagaimo or yamaimo; 3⁄4 cup dashi stock; 4 large eggs; 1⁄2 cup tenkasu or agedama; ¼ cup beni shoga or kizami beni shoga; 1½ lb cabbage head; 1⁄2 lb pork belly; neutral-flavored oil; 1 1⁄2 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp oyster sauce; 4 tbsp ketchup; 3 1⁄2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; Okonomiyaki Sauce; Japanese mayonnaise; katsuobushi; aonori; green onions; beni shoga or kizami beni shoga

How To Make Okonomiyaki

Check out this easy to follow Okonomiyaki recipe. Now you can satisfy your cravings anytime instead of eating out or having it delivered!

Prep: 30 mins

Resting Time: 1 hr

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 2 hrs

Serves:

Ingredients

For Okonomiyaki Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp sugar
¼ tsp baking powder
5 ½ oz nagaimo or yamaimo, (mountain yam)
3⁄4 cup dashi stock, (Japanese soup stock)
4 large eggs
1⁄2 cup tenkasu or agedama, (tempura scraps)
¼ cup beni shoga or kizami beni shoga, (pickled red ginger)

For Other Ingredients:

1½ lb cabbage head, (1 head)
1⁄2 lb pork belly, sliced
neutral-flavored oil, like vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.

For Quick Okonomiyaki Sauce:

1 1⁄2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oyster sauce
4 tbsp ketchup
3 1⁄2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

For Toppings:

Okonomiyaki Sauce, (homemade or store bought)
Japanese mayonnaise
katsuobushi, (dried bonito flakes)
aonori, (dried green laver seaweed)
green onions, or scallions
beni shoga or kizami beni shoga, (pickled red ginger)

Instructions

To Prepare the Okonomiyaki Batter

In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder and mix all together.
Peel and grate the nagaimo in a small bowl.*
Add the grated the nagaimo and dashi to the bowl.
Mix it all together until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.**

To Make the Okonomiyaki Sauce

Meanwhile, gather all the ingredients for the okonomiyaki sauce.
Combine sugar, oyster sauce, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Mix all together until the sugar is completely dissolved.

To Prepare the Other Ingredients

Discard the core of the cabbage and then mince the cabbage leaves.
Cut the pork belly slices in half and set aside.

To Cook the Okonomiyaki

After 1 hour, take out the batter from the refrigerator. Add eggs, tempura scraps (tenkasu/agedama), and pickled red ginger (kizami beni shoga) to the bowl. Mix until combined.
Add the minced cabbage to the batter, ⅓ of it at a time. Mix well before adding the rest.
In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil on medium heat. When the frying pan is hot (400 degrees F), spread the batter in a circle on the pan.
Place 2 to 3 slices of pork belly on top of the okonomiyaki and cook covered for 5 minutes.
When the bottom side is nicely browned, flip it over.
Gently press the okonomiyaki to fix its shape and keep it together. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
Flip it over one last time and cook uncovered for 2 minutes.

To Serve

Spread the okonomi sauce on top with a brush or spoon, drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise in a zigzag pattern, and sprinkle with dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi).***

Recipe Notes

The nagaimo may irritate the skin and cause itchiness. Work quickly and rinse hands immediately after touching the nagaimo. Also, nagaimo is very slimy and slippery, so make sure to have a good grip on the nagaimo if wearing kitchen gloves.
Resting the batter relaxes the gluten in the batter, improves the flavor, and makes the okonomiyaki fluffier. Some okonomiyaki shops refrigerate the batter overnight.
Dried green seaweed (aonori), chopped green onions, and pickled red ginger can also be added on top for garnish.

Nutrition