Cabbage Pancakes (Okonomiyaki) - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

What cabbage is best for okonomiyaki? ›

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.

If you're not familiar with it, it's sort of a frittata-like Japanese savory pancake made with cabbage, scallions, and assorted meat or seafood (Jack often calls it a cabbage hashbrown). This homemade version isn't entirely authentic, but it's healthy, delicious, and so darn easy to make.

When everything is done, the ingredients are placed on the crepe, the toppings are added, and the okonomiyaki is served on top of yakisoba noodles (fried noodles), a distinctive ingredient of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.

J Kenji López-Alt explains in Serious Eats that “the ratio of liquid to flour, along with the mixing method, will determine the final texture of the okonomiyaki”. Lots of flour gives a fluffy, dry, starchy result more like a supermarket onion bhaji, while more eggs will make it richer, and also denser.

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.

Okonomiyaki are savory, fried Japanese pancakes that are crisp on the outside and custardy at their core. They traditionally feature cabbage and pork, but this meatless version opts for spinach, zucchini and Napa cabbage.

Although Okonomiyaki has the image of being high in calories, in fact, one Okonomiyaki is only about 570 kcal.

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 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.

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.

What is the cousin of okonomiyaki? ›

A close cousin to okonomiyaki is hiroshimayaki, or Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.

Okonomiyaki Restaurants in Japan

At a table that has built-in teppan (iron griddle), you can cook your own, but the staff will help you make it if you ask. The okonomiyaki is prepared and made in the kitchen, and they place it on a teppan (iron griddle) in front of you to keep it warm.

I've used seafood and chicken successfully, but beef or other types may work as well. 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.

The inside should be just cooked through, not doughy or runny. Eat while piping hot. (Okonomiyaki is edible enough when it's cold, but it's one of those foods that is so much better when it's freshly made.)

Cheap street food like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, ramen, soba and udon costs between 500 and 1,000 JPY (4.60 to 9.25 USD).

Savoy cabbage has gained a certain amount of popularity in Japan over the past ten years.” Cabbage is said to have originated in the Mediterranean region, and became a staple vegetable in Japan along with the spread of Western food after World War II.

Savoy Cabbage

It's less satisfyingly crunchy than the hardier cabbage varieties, but does well when cooked. Savoy cabbage can stand up to your usual braises and low-and-slow varieties, but owing to its softer texture, it works in quick-cooking preparations, like sautéeing or stir-frying.

Napa Cabbage

This is the most tender of the cabbage varieties. Napa cabbage caramelizes really well, picking up nice color quickly, since the leaves are thinner and ribs less hearty. It's also our favorite to slice, dress with oil, acid, and seasoning, and serve it.

capitata f. acuta), also known as cone, sweetheart, hispi or sugarloaf cabbage is an F1 hybrid form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea) with a tapering shape and large delicate leaves varying in colour from yellowish to blue-green. It tastes less pronounced and more delicate than common white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var.