Okonomiyaki

Ingredients

• Okonomiyaki Flour

  Tafuku

  40 g or 40g

• Cabbage

  Raw

  1 head, large or 1.25kg

• Pork belly

  Fresh, raw

  ½ lb or 227g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Sugar

  White, granulated sugar

  5 ½ tbsp or 69g

• Oyster sauce

  Ready-to-serve

  2 tbsp or 36g

• Ketchup

  Low sodium

  4 tbsp or 60g

• Worcestershire sauce

  15 ½ tbsp or 264g

• Soy sauce

  Regular sodium, Shoyu

  100g

• Mayonnaise

  Kewpie

  ½ oz or 15g

• Scallions

  Spring onions or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw

  1 medium or 15g

Directions

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. To Prepare the Okonomiyaki Batter
3. In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder and mix all together.
4. Peel and grate the nagaimo in a small bowl (I use this grater that I love). Note: I don't have any issues, but the nagaimo may irritate your skin and cause itchiness. Work quickly and rinse your hands immediately after touching the nagaimo. Nagaimo is very slimy and slippery, so make sure you have a good grip on the nagaimo if you wear kitchen gloves.
5. Add the grated the nagaimo and dashi to the bowl.
6. Mix it all together until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Tip: Resting the batter relaxes the gluten in the batter, improves the flavor, and makes the okonomiyaki fluffier. Some okonomiyaki shops refrigerate the batter overnight. Meanwhile, you can prepare the okonomiyaki sauce and other ingredients.
7. To Make the Okonomiyaki Sauce
8. Meanwhile, gather all the ingredients for the okonomiyaki sauce.
9. Combine sugar, oyster sauce, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Mix all together until the sugar is completely dissolved.
10. To Prepare the Other Ingredients
11. Discard the core of the cabbage and then mince the cabbage leaves.
12. Cut the pork belly slices in half and set aside.
13. To Cook the Okonomiyaki
14. After one 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.
15. Add the minced cabbage to the batter, one-third of it at a time. Mix well before adding the rest.
16. In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil on medium heat. When the frying pan is hot (400oF or 200oC), spread the batter in a circle on the pan. We like thicker okonomiyaki (the final thickness is 3/4 inches or 2 cm). If you're new to making okonomiyaki, make it smaller and thinner so it's easier to flip.
17. Place 2-3 slices of pork belly on top of the okonomiyaki and cook covered for 5 minutes.
18. When the bottom side is nicely browned, flip it over.
19. Gently press the okonomiyaki to fix its shape and keep it together. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
20. Flip it over one last time and cook uncovered for 2 minutes. If you're going to cook the next batch, transfer the cooked okonomiyaki to a plate.
21. To Serve
22. Here are the ingredients for toppings: Spread the okonomi sauce on top with a brush or spoon, drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise in a zigzag pattern (optional), and sprinkle with dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi). You can also top with dried green seaweed (aonori), chopped green onions, and pickled red ginger for garnish. Please see the video for this step.
23. To Store
24. Wrap each okonomiyaki (no sauce or toppings) in aluminum foil and then put it in a freezer bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month. When you serve, defrost it first and heat it up in a toaster oven or oven. It's a great quick meal!
25. To Cook Several Okonomiyaki at Once
26. If you have a Japanese griddle with a lid (we call it a hot plate), you can cook several pieces of okonomiyaki at once. Otherwise, I recommend cooking one okonomiyaki at a time in a frying pan.
27. Recipe by: Namiko Chen (source: https://www.justonecookbook.com/okonomiyaki/)