Cabbage Okonomiyaki Pancakes
Embark on a culinary journey to the heart of Japanese street food with my version of the Japanese Okonomiyaki Pancakes recipe.
Okonomiyaki, often referred to as “Japanese savoury pancakes” and its a medley of shredded cabbage, savoury batter, and kick-ass toppings. Translated to mean “grilled as you like it, this quick & easy cabbage & spring onion pancake is smothered in an Asian thick sauce (the Okonomiyaki part), mayo and crispy onions – its my idea of a deliciousness!
These pancakes have it all, it’s sweet, salty, crunchy and comes together in no time with little ingredients and a few short cuts. The Okonomiyaki sauce is a revelation and I will in the future definitely keep a jar handy in my kitchen!
Ingredients in this recipe:
Traditional Worcester sauce are not vegetarian (they contain fish extracts), I would suggest checking the label.
Miso Magic: Ever wondered what miso is? It’s a traditional Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soybeans with salt and koji (a type of fungus). The result is a thick paste with a unique, savory taste. But it’s not just about the flavour – miso brings a range of health benefits. Packed with probiotics, it can support gut health and digestion. Plus, it’s a good source of essential minerals like manganese and zinc.
My Miso Recipes:
- My Miso, Mushroom & Lentil Bolognese
- Broccoli Salad with Creamy Peanut & Miso Dressing
- Asian Greens & Tofu Rice Bowls w Kimchi-Miso Sauce
Shortcuts: Shop-bought crispy onions (here) and a good mayo (here).
Nutritious power house: Cabbage:
- Rich in vitamins like C, K, B6, and folate, as well as minerals such as manganese.
- Its antioxidant properties contribute to reducing inflammation and protecting against oxidative stress.
- With a high fiber content, cabbage promotes digestive health and may help manage weight.
- Compounds like glucosinolates in cabbage are linked to potential cancer-fighting properties, making it a valuable addition to a healthy diet.
What is Oxidative Stress?
Oxidative stress is like the wear and tear that happens to your body on a cellular level. Imagine your body is a car, and over time, the engine starts to produce tiny sparks. These sparks, in our bodies, are called free radicals. They’re normal byproducts of processes like breathing and digestion but also caused by external factors like outside toxins. Oxidative stress occurs when there are too many of these free radicals, and they start causing damage to the car’s engine or, in our case, our cells. Antioxidants, like the body’s mechanics, can help neutralize these sparks, preventing excessive damage and keeping our “engines” running smoothly.
The pancake is not crispy but rather fluffy and moorish, if you fancy something crispy, try this recipe instead (here).
Cabbage Okonomiyaki Pancakes
Ingredients
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 150 g plain/cake flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 medium organic eggs
- 150 ml water
- 300 g cabbage very finely shredded
- 6 spring onions finely chopped, reserve 1/4 cup as a garnish
- handful coriander leaves only, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs mint leaves only, finely chopped
- shop-bought crispy onions
- 1/4 cup shop-bought good mayo Kewpie would work well
Okonomiyaki Sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcester sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons good honey
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons brown miso
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 120c to keep the pancakes warm.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, eggs and water together into a smooth batter. Add the cabbage and spring onions (reserve 1/4 cup for garnish) and mix well.
- Add at the sauce ingredients together and mix well, have a taste, there should be
- a good balance between salty and sweet, adjust according to your taste. If the mayo is not in a squeeze bottle like Kewpie, add a few drops of water to the mayo to make it easier to drizzle at the end. Have a taste, you might need to add a tiny pinch of salt if the water diluted the taste somewhat.
- In a small frying pan, big enough to hold one pancake, add a little olive oil, swirl to cover the pan, add one or two ladles of batter into the frying pan to form a thin pancake (a thicker layer will result in a thicker pancake which won’t crisp at the edges).
- Press the batter down with a spatula and cook the one side for 3-4 minutes, peeping at the bottom, until golden underneath, flip carefully and with a cleaned spatula press to cook until both sides are golden.
- Keep warm while you continue cooking the remaining of the batter into 3 pancakes.
- When you are ready to serve, add each pancake to a plate, drizzle liberally with the okonomiyaki sauce and the mayonnaise. Sprinkle over the spring onions followed by the crispy onions – Enjoy!
