My family are big fans of Japanese savoury pancakes (AKA Okonomiyaki) so it's a regular on our table at lunch and dinner. I usually put whatever vegetables I have to hand into mine, so for this recipe, on top of the mainstay green cabbage leaves, I used a leftover leek.
I always find it interesting to compare these European vegetables with their Asian cousins. Leeks in japan (they're called Naganegi, meaning "long onion") look much the same and are similar in size but the Japanese Naganegi tastes more like a spring onion than its European cousin. When it comes to cabbage, a Japanese cabbage (they're called kabetsu) is usually a lot softer than a European one and doesn't need as much frying.
Most Japanese garnish their Okonomiyaki with Bulldog brown sauce and mayo, then pile bonito flakes and "aonori" seaweed flakes on top. (You can buy these ingredients on-line and in most Asian food shops but they are optional and your okonomiyaki will still taste great without them).
You can turn out this okonomiyaki recipe in under 30 mins, so it's a fast food as well. You can find the written recipe just below and for the youtube tutorial click Okonomiyaki with Chicken or scroll to the bottom of the page.
Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX.
If you'd like to try out a Korean savoury pancake, you can find a recipe here Korean Savoury Pancake.
Okonomiyaki with Chicken
ingredients:
(makes 2 portions)
140g sweet pointed cabbage, rinsed
100g leek
190g chicken breast, finely sliced
50g frozen sweetcorn
130g self raising flour
1 egg
150ml Japanese dashi stock*
2 tbsp bonito fish flake (optional)
2 tbsp aonori (optional)
Bull-Dog sauce
mayonnaise
2.5tbsp of veg oil for frying
* i used dashi instant granules to make the stock but you can make your own stock - i have several Japanese stock recipes to choose from in the Recipes section)
how to:
rinse the cabbage leaves, halve lengthways and cut out the stalk
shred the cabbage roughly ( strips about 1cm width)
cut the leek in half in lengthways, then shred
heat 1/2tbsp of oil in a frying pan, fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes over a medium heat
now put the cabbage, leek & chicken in a large bowl
in a separate bowl, put the beaten egg, dashi stock & flour and mix well into a batter
add the batter mixture to the chicken, leek and cabbage and mix well
heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan & pour in half of the okonomiyaki mixture. cook for 3 - 4 mins over a medium heat with the lid on
when the bottom is cooked, flip the okonomiyaki and cook again for 3 - 4, then slide out onto a serving plate
repeat to make your second okonomiyaki
serve & drizzle over with the Bull-Dog sauce & mayonnaise. sprinkle with the bonito & aonori flakes