Okonomiyaki
Ready to hit the streets.
Forget what you know about pancakes: Egg, bonito flakes, soy sauce, all-purpose flour, cabbage, scallions, shrimp, sriracha, sesame seeds, Hellmann's mayo!
We went with rock shrimp -- but use any fresh or frozen shrimp that suits your fancy.
A mess of scallions (1 whole bunch! -- ours added up to about 2 cups) makes this savory pancake batter super flavorful.
Mayo + sriracha + soy, we dub thee Awesome Sauce.
5 eggs!
Hmmm, this sesame oil smells suspect.
You smell it.
Eh. Let's go with it.
A very modest 1/3 cup of flour takes this batter from omelette to pancake -- just barely.
Midge seasons this batter perfectly, with just the right amount of soy, sesame oil and salt (a teaspoon of each).
A heaping cup of cabbage or, rather, an erupting one.
It might look like there's crazy amounts of vegetables for the slight batter, but it works out perfectly. Trust us. (Check out how the egg puffs up in the pan!)
A big cast iron skillet (or any nonstick one) will serve you well here.
A quick rest on a paper towel-lined plate blots off any oily sheen (and keeps impatient tasters from burning their tongues.)
Featherlight bundles of umami.
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Author Notes: I went to Japan about 10 years ago and while I ate some seriously amazing things, I’d be hard-pressed to remember exactly what they were. That is, except for okonomiyaki, which I first tasted in a cramped corner shop in Kyoto that sold only these delicious savory pancakes. When I came home, my friend Becky – a fellow okonomiyaki nut -- and I tried to replicate the recipe to satisfy our cravings. This is by no means authentic and there are a ton of variations, but it sure hits the spot. - Midge - Midge
Food52 Review: Eggy and crisp, Midge's Kyoto-style pancakes are studded with plump morsels of tender shrimp and threaded through with ribbons of cabbage and rings of scallion. The savory batter is enriched with a dash of sesame oil and soy sauce, and the accompanying soy and sriracha mayo is a zippy accent -- we tore off bite-sized pieces of pancake and dunked them in the sauce before gobbling them down. - A&M - A&M
Makes roughly a dozen pancakes depending on their size
Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sriracha, more or less to taste
Pancakes
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup AP flour
- 2 cups cabbage, shredded with a mandoline or finely chopped
- 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
- 3/4 cups (roughly) baby or chopped shrimp
- canola oil for frying
- 1-2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- bonito flakes (optional)
- Whisk the first set of ingredients together and voila, your sauce. Set aside while you make the pancakes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt. Gradually add the flour until incorporated. Fold in cabbage, scallions, and shrimp.
- Warm a couple glugs of canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until glistening. Ladle the batter into the skillet as you would for regular old pancakes. I usually make them about the size of saucer. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Keep pancakes covered in a warm oven as you make the rest. Scatter sesame seeds and/or bonito flakes on top of pancakes and serve with dipping sauce and a cold pilsner.
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2 days ago lawprof
These were outstanding - crisp and flavorful. I substituted a cup of lump crab meat for the shrimp. The sauce needed more flavor, so I more than doubled the amount of Sriracha to kick it up a notch. I used Food52's Fresh Sriracha recipe, so the Sriracha was a flavorful and tangy, but not too hot or salty.
16 days ago angela wang
What is AP flour?
16 days ago emcsull
all-purpose, I learned that from this recipe too !
about 1 month ago rinkatink
I've followed many different recipes for okonomiyaki but often found that them too glutinous and hard to fry thoroughly because of of the thick batter-- a total opposite in this case. The pancakes that result are thin, crispy, almost crepe-like, and packed with umami-flavor. I'm always surprised by how such a simple and small amount of seasoning (the sesame oil, soy sauce, and salt) gives it so much flavor.
I usually top mine with chopped uncooked bacon after pouring the batter on the griddle (fries nicely after the flip and the resulting bacon fat greases up the pan nicely for the next one). I'm also more generous with the cabbage (at least 3-cups worth) and scallions (typically a whole chopped bunch) and throw in a whole diced onion in there alongside. Makes one tasty fritter topped with some mayo + ketchup, or okonomiyaki sauce if you have it handy!
2 months ago lfree
I substituted chopped kale for half of the cabbage - just to up the nutritional ante. It worked really well. This is an amazing recipe. Thank you!
2 months ago Terry Miller
Very Portuguese! I like it. The comments in this string are all tempting. When I had this in Japan there were options for the filling though all were seafood. Shrimp was good but I preferred squid. Kale might do well with linguiza to make it even more Portuguese.
2 months ago Kim O
Made these tonight with shrimp paste and they were PHENOMENAL. So unique, so delicious. Thank you so much!
3 months ago Midge
Fellow okonomiyaki freaks: I recently came across this Washington Post piece with a recipe from the awesome Teaism in D.C. that sounds way more authentic than mine. I've yet to try it but would love to hear if anyone does.
http://articles.washingtonpost...
3 months ago jfree
We are living in Spain and they have lots of tiny shrimps at the market. I make these for everyone who comes to visit and the we always have to make another batch. Men love them!
3 months ago Midge
Thanks! My husband is a big fan too.
3 months ago Embrosia
We both love these and have found them a great way to use seafood he catches at Cape Lookout. Shrimp, then bluefish (fillets cooked quickly in toaster oven, then roughly flaked). Last night we tried chopped clams... yum. I have always made them with nappa cabbage & added grated fresh ginger. Like to sprinkle the sesame seeds on the wet side before flipping instead of later on the plate. Looks good and none of the tiny tasties get away.
3 months ago Midge
Love the chopped clams idea.
3 months ago Midge
and yes on the ginger! I always add that now.
4 months ago bmgid
some great variations for okonomiyaki enthusiasts everywhere:
http://www.otafukufoods...
4 months ago kal7290
You have no idea how excited I am to have found this recipe!! It's been almost 6 years now since I traveled to Japan, but I still have dreams about okonomiyaki. I'm making this tonight! Do these keep well in the fridge or freezer by chance?
4 months ago MathildaCooks
They keep quite well in the fridge. Microwave in 30 second intervals to heat up. Haven't tried freezing.
3 months ago Midge
Thanks so much. They do keep fine in the fridge.
4 months ago J Boucher
Delicious! I substituted AP flour with Brown rice flour and since I did not have any shrimp I added fish sauce to the batter.
4 months ago AZ Rox
I made this last Sat. I followed the recipe to a T. They were out of this world! My husband discussed that for our tastes, we'd like a little more cabbage and shrimp. So, I made them again Sun. with extra cabbage and shrimp and they were still fabulous! The sauce is wonderful too and I'm not even a mayonnaise fan! Will make these again and again! Thanks for the recipe!
3 months ago Midge
Thanks! So glad you like them.
4 months ago Terry Miller
I spent 2 years home-ported in Yokosuka where my favorite foods were Nori Cha and Squid Okonomiyaki. This recipe seems closest to what I enjoyed in Yoko and Tokyo.
3 months ago Midge
Lucky you. I am dying to go back to Japan.
4 months ago creamtea
I've made this twice <3
5 months ago FrancineL
I discovered this website last night and I'm simply in looove! I will definitely try this recipe as soon as I'm off my detox. Thank you for posting such amazing recipes.
5 months ago SeanO
The exact same thing with me! I am on a cleanse and I just found this site! I've been obsessed with cooking new food when I am done. What a great site this is!
5 months ago MathildaCooks
I love this recipe! Super delicious and reminiscent of the ones that I crave from as now closed sushi joint in the East Village. Finally I can eat these at home on a cold and snowy day! My husband was skeptical but quickly won over and the two of us ate almost an entire recipe! I ate the last few pancakes for breakfast the next day! Added bean sprouts and kicked up the siracha in the sauce a notch since we like it spicy, but otherwise delicious and easy to make!
5 months ago BJ Godby
Made this last week. My husband and I are still eating them and LOVE these. I put brown rice over mine. They are addictive! Will be making again. Cabbage is abundant.
5 months ago nancy.patek
These were absolutely delicious with salmon!!!
5 months ago Midge
Ooh I have to try that. So glad you experimented!
5 months ago Pamela Trefler
I made this recipe one night, then the next day for lunch and then again that night for dinner. The last time I made them I left out the shrimp and added some briefly sautéed carrot and celery - yum.
5 months ago Midge
It can be addicting! I like the veggie additions.
6 months ago BocaCindi
I love these pancakes. Tried it with ground pork and, although they were delicious, I like the lightness of the shrimp instead.
5 months ago Midge
Thanks so much. Glad you tried them.