Easy Japanese Okonomiyaki Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a basic okonomiyaki made of? ›

Okonomiyaki literally means 'grilled as you like it', and is made from seasoned flour, cabbage, and various fresh meats and vegetables mixed together and cooked in a frying pan just like a pancake.

Other common types of okonomiyaki in Japan are “manjayaki” from Tokyo and “Hiroshima-yaki” from, yes you guessed it, Hiroshima. The ingredients used for all these are basically the same. The main difference is in how they are prepared and the relative amounts of each ingredient.

But what is okonomiyaki flour? Okonomiyaki flour is made of unbleached wheat and soy flours, leavening and spices such as kelp for flavor. It's designed to rise naturally on its own, meaning you don't need to add extra ingredients like nagaimo to get thick, fluffy pancakes.

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a popular pan-fried dish that consists of batter and cabbage. Selected toppings and ingredients are added which can vary greatly (anything from meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese). This variability is reflected in the dish's name; "okonomi" literally means "to one's liking".

The best think is to use regular flour, but then also add some yam starch or potato starch or rice flour to make the batter more sticky. See the Alternative Batter Recipes. Okonomi Sauce Substitutes: If you don't have Okonomi sauce on hand you can make your own.

A type of pan-fried batter or savoury pancake, monjayaki is Tokyo's answer to okonomiyaki, the iconic dish of Hiroshima and Osaka. Monjayaki retains a slightly runny appearance much like melted cheese even when cooked – but the delicious concoction tastes better than it looks.

Okonomiyaki, hailing from Osaka, features a thick batter loaded with cabbage and ingredients mixed together and cooked like a pancake. Monjayaki, from Tokyo, stands out with a thinner, runnier batter and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Ingredients are first cooked separately, and then the batter is added.

If you find it impossible to get your hands on Japanese Mountain Yams (Yamaimo), they can be substituted by White Rice Flour, but then your Okonomiyaki will in fact turn into Korean Pancakes instead. Perhaps just check a normal Okonomiyaki recipe, and if you are gluten intolerant, keep looking for those Mountain Yams.

Monjayaki (もんじゃ焼き, often called simply "monja") is a type of Japanese pan-fried batter, popular in the Kantō region, similar to okonomiyaki, but using different liquid ingredients.

Okonomiyaki Flour Mix uses Japanese domestically produced wheat. Its ground specifically for pancake is pre-mixed with powdered “Dashi”(broth) such as Bonito flake, Kelp, and yam. It makes your Okonomi-Yaki very fluffy. Therefore it's delicate, rich, and delicious as if at an authentic Okonomiyaki restaurant in Japan.

Can you use pancake mix like flour? ›

Using Pancake Mix as Flour: Pancake mix can be used as a substitute for flour in recipes that call for flour, baking soda, and baking powder [3]. It is not suitable for recipes that require yeast. Cakes, cookies, frying batters, and pastries are more ideal for using pancake mix instead of flour.

Yes, you can make takoyaki and okonomiyaki from the same flour.

Core and shred Napa cabbage, then transfer to a large bowl. Use a vegetable peeler to grate the carrot into the same bowl. Thinly slice scallions, adding most to the bowl with the cabbage and carrots. Add ketchup and Worcestershire to a small bowl and mix to combine, then set aside.

Bonito flakes - known as katsuobushi in Japanese - are a strange food upon first sight. They are known to move or dance when used as a topping on foods such as okonomiyaki and takoyaki.

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

At their base okonomiyaki consist of flour, water, egg, and shredded cabbage which is mixed into a batter and cooked similar to a pancakes on a grill until both sides are golden brown, crispy and good! They are so easy to make!

Yamaimo is Japanese mountain yam, a long root vegetable with thin, light brown skin and a slippery internal texture. (It can be omitted.) Hondashi is granulated dashi powder. (Water can be used in its place.)

For Kansai-style okonomiyaki, ingredients are mixed into a flour batter and then cooked as a single-layered pancake. In contrast, the Hiroshima-style layers its ingredients, beginning with a thin fried egg and crepe-like batter followed by vegetables, meat and stir-fried noodles.