A signature of Japanese street food, specifically of Osaka, okonomiyaki is a savory pancake known for its custardy interior and a bevy of finishing touches. While the traditional recipe features grated mountain yam (nagaimo or yamaimo) to nail the dish’s characteristically soft texture, this version approximates the results with a pantry-forward batter and a few cups of thinly sliced cabbage. Meanwhile, bacon makes a great extra-flavorful stand-in for the thinly sliced pork belly found in iterations all over Japan.
This okonomiyaki recipe calls for instant dashi stock powder. If you don’t keep it on hand and want to save yourself a trip to the grocery store, we’ve offered a simple substitution: Just mix a bit of fish sauce with water to imbue the okonomiyaki batter base with a similar flavor. Next, to approximate Okonomi sauce—the sweet-savory condiment often drizzled over okonomiyaki alongside mayonnaise (if you have Kewpie mayo on hand, all the better)— doctor up your favorite ketchup with Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.
We like to dress this umami cabbage pancake with sliced pickled ginger and delicate bonito flakes, a.k.a. katsuobushi (both available at most Asian grocery stores or easily purchased online), plus fresh green onions. But feel free to raid your pantry for tenkasu, furikake, nori flakes, toasted sesame seeds, or anything else you’d care to sprinkle with abandon.
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What you’ll need
Instant Dashi Powder
$5 At Weee!
Benriner Mandoline Slicer
$49 At Amazon
Spatula
$13 At Amazon
Whisk
$12 At Amazon
Medium Nonstick Skillet
$40 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk 2 large eggs, one 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. instant dashi powder or fish sauce, 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, a pinch of kosher salt, and ½ cup water in a large bowl until smooth. Add ⅓ large head of cabbage (about 12 oz.), very thinly sliced (about 3 cups), and 1 small onion, very finely chopped; mix vigorously to coat.
Step 2
Line bottom of a dry 10"-diameter nonstick skillet with 5 bacon slices, halved crosswise, in as even a layer as possible. Set over medium-high heat, then pile cabbage mixture on top of bacon and flatten into an even layer. Cook, tucking in sides and patting mixture with a rubber spatula to keep it in an even round and shaking pan occasionally, until bacon is browned and crisp,7–9 minutes.
Step 3
Place a large plate upside down over pan and carefully flip plate and pan over in one quick motion so okonomiyaki is turned out onto plate, bacon side up (do this over the sink to catch any drips). Slide back into pan and cook until set on the outside but still tender inside, 6–8 minutes. Carefully transfer to a clean plate.
Step 4
Mix ½ cup ketchup, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, and remaining 1 Tbsp. soy sauce in a small bowl to combine. Squeeze mayonnaise over okonomiyaki as desired, then drizzle seasoned ketchup over. Sprinkle some furikake or sesame seeds on top.
Recipe notes
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