Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pan cake, お好み焼き)

Pan cake sounds sweet however, Japanese savory pan cake is not that sweet and not like a western style pan cake. This dish contains vegetables and meat. You can add cheese, rice cake or anything you like. Some Japanese people have Okonomiyaki parties to invite people or gather their families at home as well. I will introduce how to make it by a frying pan. In case you don’t have a “Teppan” (a big steel plate).

Ingredients (For 4 plates):

• 400g (0.9 LBS) of cabbage
• 250g (0.6 LBS) of bacon
• 2 cups of flour
• 4 eggs
• 6 teaspoons of *Hondashi
• 4 tablespoons of *Tenkasu
• 1 cup of *Katsuobushi
• 1 tablespoon of *Aonoriko
• 4 tablespoons of *Okonomiyaki sauce
• 240ml (8oz) of water
• 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil

*Hondashi is bonito soup stock powders.
*Tenkasu is deep fried crackers.
*Okonomiyaki sauce is the sauce for Okonomiyaki, however, you can use it for other dishes such as stir-fry vegetables, chicken wings and so on. Key ingredients are ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. I normally buy Otafuku’s Okonomiyaki sauce on Amazon or at Asian grocery stores.
*Katsuobushi is bonito flakes.
*Aonoriko is green seaweed flakes.

Here is how to make it at home. Cooking time is about 15 - 20 minutes.

1. Shred cabbage as about 4 cm (1.6 inches) length and cut bacon into a half long of the packed bacon (about 8cm, 3.2 inches).
2. Mix up flour, eggs, water, *Hondashi, *Tenkasu and shredded cabbage thoroughly. If the mixture is soggy, then add more flour.
3. Preheat vegetable oil in a frying pan with medium heat, put 4 bacon as vertical and put ¼ of 2. ingredients as a circle shape on top of the bacon.
4. Put a lid and simmer for about 5 minutes. Flip over. Remove the lid and simmer another about 5 minutes.
5. After surfaces are slightly brown, remove from heat, and put it into a plate.
6. Add *Okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise as horizontal shape, then vertical for a few times, sprinkle *Katsuobushi and *Aonoriko on top.
7. Repeat 3. - 6. for 4 plates. (Cooking tips: I normally use 2 frying pans at the same time for the timesaving.)