Crisper Clear-out Okonomiyaki
Simple to prepare, this savoury pancake is well loved in Japan and in our household as well. I often make it with thick-cut bacon but it’s also a fabulous way to use up half a carrot, the less-than-stellar spring onions and even broccoli stalk.
Generally, it’s made with mostly cabbage but by now you know I’m rarely bound by tradition. That said, I love all the standard toppings – Kewpie mayo, tonkatsu sauce, katsuobushi (bonito flakes), shredded nori and so on.
The recipe will yield 1 large pancake which we usually share, 6 palm sized pancakes which are great if you’re doing a multi course meal or a dozen (or more) mini pancakes as a starter with drinks.
ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (or even leftover oil from anchovy jar)
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup grated or thinly sliced vegetables such as spring onion, cabbage, carrot, broccoli stalk etc
- neutral oil for frying
method
Stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Whisk the oil, egg and water in separate bowl/jug and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix well to a thick batter.
Dump the grated vegetables into the batter and stir til combined.
Heat a little neutral oil in a frypan then spoon in the batter to acheive the desired sized pancakes. Cook for 2-4 minutes each side until they’re a dark golden colour. If you’re unsure if they’re cooked through, cut one in half to satisfy your curiosity.
To serve, top with drizzles and squiggles of mayo and tonkatsu sauce and as much katsuobushi, nori, pickles etc as your heart tells you.