Cabbage Pancakes (Okonomiyaki) - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

Which cabbage is best for okonomiyaki? ›

Okonomiyaki is traditionally made with dashi, the essential Japanese soup stock, so if you have it, please use it in place of the vegetable stock. Half a regular-sized cabbage is all you'll need for this recipe and you could also substitute with purple cabbage.

Okonomiyaki flour is made of unbleached wheat and soy flours, leavening and spices such as kelp for flavor. It's designed to rise naturally on its own, meaning you don't need to add extra ingredients like nagaimo to get thick, fluffy pancakes.

Pancake mix: I use Bisquick, but you can use any other box mix, or make your own from flour and baking soda if you prefer. Oil or butter: This keeps the pancake from sticking to the pan. I tend to use olive oil, but any vegetable oil or butter will work. Condiments: The sky is the limit here.

Dietary fiber is contained in abundance in the flour, cabbage, and yams that are used in the making of Okonomiyaki. This fiber increases performance in the stomach and intestines, removes excessive fat, and works to expel cholesterol and salt from the body.

Okonomiyaki is sometimes translated into English as "as-you-like-it pancake". However, this may be misleading. Though it does consist of batter cooked on a griddle, okonomiyaki has nothing of the sweetness or fluffiness of pancakes, not to mention that it is usually filled with octopus, shrimp, pork, yam or kimchi.

Okonomiyaki are savory, fried Japanese pancakes that are crisp on the outside and custardy at their core. They traditionally feature cabbage and pork, but this meatless version opts for spinach, zucchini and Napa cabbage.

To make healthy pancakes, use whole-wheat or another whole-grain (cornmeal, oats or buckwheat) flour instead. Whole-wheat flour has 16 grams of fiber per cup compared to 3 grams of fiber in white flour.

Katsuobushi (Japanese: 鰹節) is simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis, sometimes referred to as bonito). It is also known as bonito flakes or broadly as okaka (おかか).

At its simplest, okonomiyaki batter is just flour, eggs and water, though dashi, an intensely savoury, seaweed-based stock often replaces the last.

Over-Mixing the Batter

A slightly lumpy pancake batter is actually a good thing. Sure, our natural instinct when mixing a batter is to make sure everything is nice and smooth—but resist it. Over-mixing develops gluten in the batter, which means heavier, chewier pancakes, rather than light and fluffy hotcakes.

What is a good substitute for okonomiyaki sauce? ›

Okonomi Sauce Substitutes: If you don't have Okonomi sauce on hand you can make your own. Easy Okonomi Sauce Recipe: Mix 3 tbs of ketchup, with 1 tbs of Worcestershire sauce, with 1 tsp of Soy Sauce.

If Worcestershire sauce isn't available in your area, you can substitute with tonkatsu, A1 steak sauce, HP sauce, soy sauce, mentsuyu or even regular bbq sauce.

Shred the cabbage finely.

These come out best when they're made with really thin shreds of cabbage. If your cabbage is too chunky, they won't hold together well, and they'll have a denser, less delicate texture. I always use my mandoline when I make this recipe.

In Osaka, the regional specialities like okonomiyaki and takoyaki have white flour, so you should limit it to a small quantity. Main Japanese dishes are high in carb., rice, flour(udon, soba, ramen, bread, etc.), potato, etc.

Okonomiyaki is a savory Japanese style pancake and it's mostly divided into two styles: Osaka style and Hiroshima style. The Osaka style uses a variety of ingredients, including shredded cabbage, flour and eggs.

Savoy cabbage has gained a certain amount of popularity in Japan over the past ten years.” Cabbage is said to have originated in the Mediterranean region, and became a staple vegetable in Japan along with the spread of Western food after World War II.

Green cabbage and Chinese cabbage are commonly used in Japanese cooking. Red cabbage is also used, though it's not quite as common as other varieties of cabbage. In Japan, cabbage is a main ingredient in healthy recipes that are low cost. It's also a main ingredient in Japanese comfort food like okonomiyaki.

Many people prefer savoy cabbage to regular cabbage because of its milder flavour and tender leaves. This is the perfect cabbage for using raw and thinly sliced in salads, stir-fries, or braised with butter. Savoy cabbage works nicely as a fresh and crunchy wrap – you can substitute it for rice paper or tortillas.

Savoy Cabbage

It's less satisfyingly crunchy than the hardier cabbage varieties, but does well when cooked. Savoy cabbage can stand up to your usual braises and low-and-slow varieties, but owing to its softer texture, it works in quick-cooking preparations, like sautéeing or stir-frying.