Okonomiyaki

[CWS4322]

Oops! Typo in the heading. My word of the day is okonomiyaki. This is the recipe for the Japanese cabbage "pancake" known as okonomiyaki I made last night. It is quick, filling, and makes enough to serve 2 and have leftovers for lunch the next day. The recipe should work with egg substitute or with just egg whites. If you can't get taro root, you could use sweet potato--I'd use white instead of orange. Serve with a side salad and it's a meal.

DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIME: 20-25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

100 g Nova Scotian scallops, cut in quarters
100 g bacon, chopped
1/4 head cabbage (Savoy or green), chopped (should be about 200 g)
3 eggs
3 tbsp garlic scapes or chives, chopped
3 spears asparagus
2 tsp fish sauce
1/3 cup flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
½ cup Nagaimo (taro root)
2 sheets Nori
2 tbsp okonomi sauce
2 tsp wasabi paste
1/4 cup cold water (or dashi if you have it--I didn't and didn't feel like making any)
vegetable spray
salt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp benito flakes

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat griddle to 400 degrees.
2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.


PREPARE INGREDIENTS:

Bacon: cut into 1 cm lardons
Scallops: cut into quarters
Nagaimo: peel and grate (1/2 cup) Tip: Some people are allergic to the peel. I wear latex gloves when handling Nagaimo.
Cabbage: Slice into 1/4-inch strips (2 cups)
Flour: Measure 1/3 c
Baking powder: Measure 1/8 tsp
Fish sauce: Measure 2 tsp
Eggs: beat lightly in small bowl
Asparagus: Cut off ends, cut into 5 segments about 1 inch long (cut on diagonal)
Garlic scapes: Cut on a diagonal, about 1/4 inch long
Nori: Cut sheets in half and then roll and cut chiffionade
Mayonnaise: Stir in 1-2 tsp wasabi paste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, water, taro, fish sauce. Mix until blended, but not overly so.
2. Add remaining ingredients except mayonnaise and nori. Blend until moist.
3. Spray hot griddle with vegetable spray.
4. Put 1/2 of mixture on griddle, shape in a circle, lower heat to 375. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes.
5. Flip, and cook an additional 5 minutes on the other side. (I find using two spatelas makes it a lot easier because 1/2 of the mixture makes an okonomiyaki that is about 9 inches across).
6. Hold first okonomiyaki in preheated oven on an oven-proof plate or pizza pan.
7. Repeat steps 4 and 5.

TO SERVE

1. Put wasabi mustard in a small ziplock bag. Clip off one corner, make diagonal lines across okonomiyaki.
2. Put okonomi sauce in a small ziplock bag. Clip off one corner, and make diagonal lines to make a lattice pattern across okonomiyaki.
3. Top with nori threads, green onion, benito flakes (as you wish).
4. Cut into quarters. One is easily enough for 2 people with a salad.

Notes: When I did this on my cast-iron griddle, I had to lower the heat.If you don't have a griddle, a non-stick skillet will work, but you still need to give it a light spray of vegetable oil (or wipe it with vegetable oil if you don't have the spray). If you prefer the cabbage softer, nuke it for about 2 minutes before adding it to the batter. You can substitute shrimp, chicken, or pork for the scallops. These are good eaten warm or at room temperature for lunch the next day. Pack the toppings separately.

Sorry--no pictures--forgot. But you can find pictures of okonomiyaki on the Internet.

[Rocklobster]

Never saw that before. Looks good. Going to definitely look into doing this...thanks...

[CWS4322]

It is sort of a cabbage fritter, only a BIG fritter. There are many ways to make it. Some recipes don't incorporate the cabbage in the batter, rather you cook the "pancake" first and then add the cabbage and let it cook down, others add noodles. Some put pickled ginger between the pancake and the cabbage. Basically, it is an "anything goes" kind of thing--tasty, filling, and a quick dish to make that doesn't use a lot of dishes/pans, doesn't require a lot of prep time. And, the part I like best, is that it is something I can take with me when I go on a client's site and don't know if there is a fridge or microwave because it is good at room temperature.

Here are some links:

Okonomiyaki Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Okonomiyaki Savory Grilled Japanese Pancake Recipe

Okonomiyaki, Osaka style | Just Hungry - this one explains all the ingredients.

[CWS4322]

Originally Posted by Rocklobster

Never saw that before. Looks good. Going to definitely look into doing this...thanks...

That surprises me, Rock!

[PrincessFiona60]

Originally Posted by CWS4322

Okonomiyaki, Osaka style | Just Hungry - this one explains all the ingredients.

Makiko Itoh's Japanese cooking site...the best site for learning. She has a sister site Just Bento.

I also have her cookbook, Just Bento, love her descriptions and best of all I have most of all the odd (for Montana) ingredients. Just have to find some fresh Taro.

[pacanis]

I won't be able to make this.
I don't think the scallops I buy are from Nova Scotia.

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by PrincessFiona60

Makiko Itoh's Japanese cooking site...the best site for learning. She has a sister site Just Bento.

I also have her cookbook, Just Bento, love her descriptions and best of all I have most of all the odd (for Montana) ingredients. Just have to find some fresh Taro.

A Caribbean market in my area has fresh taro, as well as the Asian market.

I've "known" Maki for a long time. We were on the same web design mailing list for years and worked on the mailing list's website. She's had a tough time with her health lately, but seems to be getting better.

[CWS4322]

Originally Posted by pacanis

I won't be able to make this.
I don't think the scallops I buy are from Nova Scotia.

Pac--I'd have thought you'd use wings...

[CWS4322]

Originally Posted by PrincessFiona60

Makiko Itoh's Japanese cooking site...the best site for learning. She has a sister site Just Bento.

I also have her cookbook, Just Bento, love her descriptions and best of all I have most of all the odd (for Montana) ingredients. Just have to find some fresh Taro.

I think you can use tapioca starch...or was it potato starch...the Taro does make a difference, though.

[pacanis]

Boneless wings! Good call! lol

[roadfix]

There are so many ingredients that I don't have the patience to make this myself.
But this is where we locally go for okonomiyaki. Several photos here so you get the idea.

Gaja Okonomiyaki Japanese Restaurant Review and Photos - Lomita, CA | Eatosaurus Rex

[pacanis]

Thanks for the pic, roadie.

[CWS4322]

Originally Posted by roadfix

There are so many ingredients that I don't have the patience to make this myself.
But this is where we locally go for okonomiyaki. Several photos here so you get the idea.

Gaja Okonomiyaki Japanese Restaurant Review and Photos - Lomita, CA | Eatosaurus Rex

I only had to buy benito flakes and taro root. Everything else I had in the fridge/pantry. It took less than 15 minutes to prep the ingredients. The taro root dissolves on the grater. One can omit the bacon and the scallops and use whatever veggies one has on hand. It is a very easy recipe to make (or maybe it is just because I've been prepping Indian dishes which seem to take FOREVER that this seemed easy). I'd love to see some DCers play with this and come up with other combinations and give feedback on whether this is too much for the home cook to do.

[PrincessFiona60]

Originally Posted by CWS4322

I think you can use tapioca starch...or was it potato starch...the Taro does make a difference, though.

I have tapioca starch.

[PrincessFiona60]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

A Caribbean market in my area has fresh taro, as well as the Asian market.

I've "known" Maki for a long time. We were on the same web design mailing list for years and worked on the mailing list's website. She's had a tough time with her health lately, but seems to be getting better.

I've "known" Maki, too. Lots of questions on Just Bento when I was in the Bento phase. Yes, she has been through the wringer.

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by PrincessFiona60

I've "known" Maki, too. Lots of questions on Just Bento when I was in the Bento phase. Yes, she has been through the wringer.

I still love the way the Internet provides a way to have friends I never would have met otherwise :-)

[Somebunny]

Okay hope this isn't sacrilegious, but it seems a close cousin to Chinese
Egg foo Yung. What say you?

[PrincessFiona60]

I think it might be the Grandmother of Egg Foo Young...

[powerplantop]

When I was in Japan this was one of my favorite things to eat. A few friends sitting around a table grill with a few beers and cooking your own with what ever you wanted inside was a lot of fun.

[CWS4322]

It doesn't remind me of Egg foo Yung at all. I made it again today for the photographer (first time I've had something I cooked photographed by a professional photographer).