Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki means "what you like" or "what you want." While, yaki, stands for “grilled” or “cooked” in Japanese. Amateur cooks like me can easily make this at home, any time! As the name implies, it's really about finding your own style—from the toppings to the sauce—you can add anything, whatever you like!

Image Source: Pinterest by CuriosNut

Some restos completely cover it in special okonomiyaki sauce, while some use Japanese mayo, which is a little sweet and lighter than the traditional ones you are accustomed to. Finally, it's topped with bonito flakes, or katsuoboshi, which make the dish even more delectable and amusing (see the bonito flakes dance!).

HISTORY

The dish was popularized in Osaka during the 1930s, but it can even be traced back before WWII. What used to be a special desert served at a Buddhist ceremony, evolved through the years, with the addition of sauces, like mayo, and various toppings. Okonomiyaki became even more popular during the war in Hiroshima, when rice was scarce and people had to make do of whatever ingredients they had.

There are different styles of cooking this crepe-like pancake, but let me show you what I learned in Kyoto Daidocoro, a cooking class in Japan, where I signed up my husband and I to this Teppanyaki class.

It's a three-hour course where you learn how to make okonomiyaki, yakisoba (Japanese noodle), and gyoza (Japanese dumpling). For now, I'll share with you the okonomiyaki recipe (Kansai basic style) we learned in class.

COOKING FOR TWO

Image courtesy of Kyoto Daidocoro

INGREDIENTS

BATTER

Flour 100g

Milk 50g

Water 50g

Japanese Katsuobushi 10g

(NOTE: Chicken stock is also a perfect substitute)

Head of Cabbage 1/2

Egg 2

(NOTE: 1 for the batter/ 1 for the okonomiyaki mixture)

KANSAI BASIC STYLE

Tenkasu (crunchy bits of deep fried flour-batter)

Pork

Cheese

Scallions

Shrimps

Aomori (Seaweed)

Katsuoboshi (sliced bonito) or Parsley as substitute

OTHER OPTIONS:

Corn. Cheese. Tuna. Bacon. Potatoes. Corn Flakes

NOTE: Cut them into 2cm cubes for easy mixing.

LET'S GET STARTED

1. Start with the batter. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix 1 raw egg. Make sure the mixture is smooth with no lumps.

2. Finely chop cabbage head or chop with a food processor slicer.

3. Place a bowl on a scale and weigh 100 g of chopped cabbage, then pour approximately 50g of batter.

4. Add another egg into the mix.

5. Add the toppings into the mix, and mix! Make sure not to mix too much as this causes the cabbage to lose its moisture.

6. Pre-heat your hotplate or fry pan. Don't forget to grease pan with oil or butter.

7. Take the mixture and pour into hot pan. Scoop any of the toppings that have rolled away from the mix and place them in the middle of your okonomiyaki.

8. Use the tip of a spoon to spread out the mix from the inside outwards. Recommended thickness: 2-3 cm. NOTE: Having it too thick might result in it being raw in the middle, while having it too thin will make it lumpy.

9. You can add more toppings, like the pork and chicken, and cook for 3 minutes.

10. Flip! Cook for another 4 minutes.

11. Flip again. The surface should be golden brown. Cook for another 3 minutes.

12. Flip for the last time and place in a plate.

13. Add in your sauce and bonito flakes, and serve! ^^

COOKING LEVEL SKILL UNLOCKED!

Image courtesy of Kyoto Daidocoro

_____________

“

We truly enjoyed our experience. It was a wonderful way to take home memories of Japan by learning how to cook their cuisine. Recipes were easy to recreate at home and very yummy, too. I would recommend this class for the whole family. P.S. Come to class hungry!

"

—My Trip Advisor review, March 2015

______

Kyoto Daidocoro 4F, 435-2 Hijikata Bldg., Ebisucho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Japan 604-8005; +81 8045 65 1541; info@daidocoro.com