Okonomiyaki
Midge
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- roughly a dozen 4 to 5-inch pancakes
- Prep Time
- 30 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 Minutes
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
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon 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 all-purpose flour
- 2 cup cabbage, shredded with a mandoline or finely chopped
- 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
- 3/4 cup (roughly) baby or chopped shrimp
- 3/4 cup canola oil for frying (roughly 1 tablespoon per pancake, using more or less as needed)
- 1-2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 pinch bonito flakes (optional)
Featured Video
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
Directions
Instructions
- Step 1
Whisk the first set of ingredients together and voila, your sauce. Set aside while you make the pancakes.
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
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.