Okonomiyaki

[torakris]

I had been wanting to try negiyaki for sometime now and finally had the chance.

This is a speciality from Osaka that in made with green onions instead of cabbage.

on the grill

the restaurant suggested eating it with soy sauce and katsuo bushi (bonito flakes) but I felt this added nothing. I remember easternsun mentioning eating it with ponzu and wish they had had some.

[easternsun]

Here are some okonomi shots from Tennoji Market:

On the grill...

This is Ika-Yaki - the Osaka version (in Tokyo, Ika-Yaki is grilled squid on a stick) In this version the batter is simply egg and flour.

All ready to eat! I had one of these...there was a time service special and I got it for 200 yen ($2).

Kristin, I love Negi-Yaki! No ponzu is a shame....I will send you a bottle of Asahi Ponzu anytime!

[torakris]

I have discovered that for my family of 5 it is much easier to make a bunch of mini-okonomiyakis on the hot plate than big ones. This way everyone can add what ever they want to theirs.

on the hot plate

on the paper plate

[AzianBrewer]

Torakris, the mini-me's look excellent. The shaved bonito is a must in Okonomi. Some places even used powdered seaweed. My Korean friend has incorporated chopped Kimchee to her recipe.

[helenjp]

Tennoji market, boy that brings back a few memories! Hope you're enjoying it! I often heard that Osaka people regard okonomiyaki as a meal, while Tokyo people think of it as a snack.

Regarding "tenkasu", I think the problem may be that "kasu" is a term of abuse. In fact, there's a little campaign going on at my son's school by the boys who like to beat him up to make the teachers think that my son calls them "kasu".

[fenyx66]

I love Okonomiyaki. Adding kimchi sounds great, I must try it. My favorite topping is mochi and cheese. The soft warm mochi, that is slightly crispy from where it has touched the grill, mixed with the delicious melted white cheese are excellent. If it hasn't been suggested yet, I recommend this. Of course the sauce, katsuobushi and nori sprinkles are a must on all okonomiyaki.

[JasonTrue]

Kabocha Cheese Okonomiyaki (blog entry)

I made this okonomiyaki with almost no liquid: just a lot of oroshi-imo (from nagaimo), flour, an egg, and a tiny bit of dashijiru. No water. It turned out to have a very nice crispness.

The idea is stolen from a chain okonomiyaki place I've been to once or twice. In the fall a few years ago, they offered a kabocha cheese okonomiyaki which had thin sliced kabocha in the cabbage/batter mixture, and mashed kabocha placed on top after both sides had cooked about 5 minutes each, dressed with some cheese, and covered for an extra couple of minutes until the cheese melts.

Edited December 22, 2005 by JasonTrue (log)

[helenjp]

Jason, I think that "no water" is particularly characteristic of Osaka-style okonomiyaki. I prefer to make them that way too.

Mochi cheese topping for okonomiyaki...sounds like a good sort of dinner for teenage boys!

[torakris]

I have never seen nor thought about putting kabocha in an okonomiyaki. I like it!!

I have used julienned kabocha to make a Korean jon (called chijimi in Japan).

[jkonick]

Here's another take on okonomiyaki with kabocha, but made on a George Form grill, in my dorm room: http://goutbacon.blogspot.com/

[jeniac42]

OK, so I had a lot of leftovers in the fridge, so I found this thread again and thought I would give okonomiyaki a try. This one had caramelized onions, yu choy instead of cabbage (I didn't have any cabbage), leftover sauteed corn with green peppers and paprika, and BACON on top. I used 1 egg, some flour, a little water with dashi-no-moto, put the bacon on one side of the pancake, and topped it with Bulldog sauce, Kewpie mayo, and katsuobushi. It was really good and I will definitely be eating this more often.

[ChryZ]

My version of okonomiyaki:

Ingredients

1 X cabbage (sliced)

1 X half chicken breast (sliced)

1 X egg

2 X green onion (chopped)

1 CUP flour

1 CUP carrot (julienned dressed with some lemon juice)

1 CUP water

1/2 CUP tinned tuna

1/2 CUP kimchi

2-4 TBSP mayonnaise

4 TBSP kikkoman teriyaki sauce

3 TBSP soy sauce

1 TBSP thai fish sauce

3 TBSP mirin

4-8 TBSP okonomisauce

2-4 TBSP katsuobushi

1-2 TBSP aonori

first the batter, mix egg+flour+soysauce+fishsauce+mirin,

add water while mixing until the viscosity is maple-syrup-like

let the batter rest for 15-30 min and pan-fry the teriyaki chicken in the meantime

right before the cooking, dress the shredded cabbage with batter, use the batter

like a salad dressing, the cabbage shouldn't drown, make sure that the batter

is somewhat sticking to the cabbage, it shouldn't drip down to the buttom of the

bowl, if it's too runny then add some flour to the remaining batter until the

viscosity is correct

heat pan(s) or hot-plate on low to medium, coat with very little oil,

spread some cabbage and top as you like

filling #1: tuna, kimchi, chili flakes and green onion

filling #2: teriyaki chicken, green onions and the julienned carrot

then another layer of batter'd cabbage

flip from time to time, slightly browning them

almost done

when done, serve topped with okonomisauce, mayo, aonori and katsuobushi

I've cut them in half for two kinds of filling on one plate and two servings.

Comments are most welcome.

Edited September 10, 2006 by ChryZ (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Comments are most welcome.

←

Thank you ChryZ for sharing your "passion" with okonomiyaki. It must have cost you dear, buying all of these Japanese ingredients in Europe.

Did anyone tell you how to make okonomiyaki or is everything self-taught?

I wonder if you dislike beni shoga (red pickled ginger) or you simply can't get it where you live.

One more question: Is the mayo a Kewpie?

[ChryZ]

Comments are most welcome.

←

Thank you ChryZ for sharing your "passion" with okonomiyaki. It must have cost you dear, buying all of these Japanese ingredients in Europe.

Did anyone tell you how to make okonomiyaki or is everything self-taught?

I wonder if you dislike beni shoga (red pickled ginger) or you simply can't get it where you live.

One more question: Is the mayo a Kewpie?

←

I've bought the japanese ingredients at a local japanese supermarket and the prices are actually quite reasonable.

Self-taught, I've read and tried a couple of recipes. I've tried many fillings and toppings. The version above is the result of quite a few okonomiyaki sessions and so far my favourite.

I like beni shoga and it's available, but it's not essential to me ... so I tend to forget it ;

Yes, the mayo is indeed キユーピーマヨネーズ / Kewpie Mayonnaise.

[torakris]

I love the idea of kimchi in okonomiyaki. I order it in monjyayaki all the time I wonder why I never thought of doing it with okonomiyaki?? My kids would love it too.

The teriyaki chicken one looks great as well, I think I am going to need to pull out the hot plate soon..

[Dasha]

Hello to everyone. This is my first post in the Japan forum, although I've been lurking here for a few months... You all have really inspired me and I've made quite a few yummy Japanese meals, including curry, chirashi zushi, and tonkatsu. You've also turned me into a raving Pocky addict. Thanks, everyone!

I made my first okonomiyaki last night and it was a big hit. Unfortunately, I forgot to get the camera out and take a picture. We made ours using a packaged mix with cabbage, green onion, shrimp and bacon, topped with crumbled nori and katsuo bushi. I forgot to get the proper sauce at the Asian market, but we used tonkatsu sauce and Kewpie mayo and...YUM! The leftovers were even good cold this morning for breakfast.

The only thing that was a challenge was flipping the darn thing. We don't have a flat skillet so I used our biggest frying pan and flipped with two spatulas. Despite my best efforts, I sort of crushed one side of it. Is there a trick I'm missing or is it just best to not get greedy and make such a huge okonomiyaki?

Edited February 18, 2007 by Dasha (log)

[ChryZ]

The only thing that was a challenge was flipping the darn thing.  We don't have a flat skillet so I used our biggest frying pan and flipped with two spatulas.  Despite my best efforts, I sort of crushed one side of it.  Is there a trick I'm missing or is it just best to not get greedy and make such a huge okonomiyaki? 

←

I use two spatulas too, the rest is pretty much practice (flipping and thickness).

[jkonick]

To flip it, I usually slide it on to a plate, cooked side down, then put the frying pan over the top. Turn it over, and voila! The uncooked side is now face down. Always works, no spatula maneuvering required.

[MoGa]

I've arrived at the Okonomiyaki party quite late on. My Tokyo born husband has never been too keen on it, and the recipes from books I'd tried to make had been vile, rubbery failures. I'm not even sure why I persisted as the only time I'd had it before (at a now closed okonomiyaki restaurant near London's Piccadilly Circus) I hadn't liked it much. What I did like was the 'idea' of it.

And then, a couple of months ago, this recipe was posted (I hadn't got to grips with egullet then)

http://www.justhungry.com/okonomiyaki-osaka-style just as I was able to walk and cook again.

I've managed to overturn my husband's distaste for okonomiyaki (it's now one of his favourite foods) and it's become a (minimum) once a week dish. As he works near the Japan Centre (a handy source for nagaimo - I've still not seen yamaimo there) I can tell when he's hankering after some as he'll buy nagaimo especially. It's often twice a week we eat it (I guess the novelty is still fresh).

We put more cabbage into the batter than in the recipe I linked to. We also like to add those vermicelli-like strips of dried cuttlefish as well as or instead of the sakura ebi (dried tiny prawns). As 'toppings' we enjoy fresh prawns and a sprinkle of fake bacon pieces - junky but convenient - as well as kewpie mayonnaise (although I like Hellmann's too), okonomiyaki sauce and bonito shavings. The suggestion for frying and breaking up tenkasu from the batter works a treat.

For the times I want a cheap lunch and haven't had the foresight to get nagaimo, I bought a pack of okonomiyaki flour. But I combine it with grated boiled potato and add a little extra dashi. It's a little nicer this way than with grated potato and standard flour or with okonomiyaki flour without any grated tubers.

I've used various green cabbages to make it, all have worked. Our favourite was probably last night's where I used sweetheart/duchy cabbage.

My husband thinks I'm particularly fond of it due its resemblance to Spanish 'Tortilla de patatas' - potato omelet. I certainly flip them over the same way (thankfully, I have tons of practice)

---

I have a question though.

I've just bought konnyaku for the first time and I've noticed that some okonomiyaki places include it amongst the ingredients.

How would one go about adding konyaku to okonomiyaki? Does it have to be cooked first? Do I mix it in the batter or cut it into slices to add on top - and if so, would there be a problem with konnyaku coming into direct contact with the heat of the frying pan when flipped over?

If I should mix konnyaku into the batter, what sort of sized pieces should I cut it into?

Sorry about this, but I really am clueless about konnyaku - I've only cooked and eaten it in Oden.

[Hiroyuki]

I was clueless (I was born and bred in Tokyo), so I had to do some googling. There are some people who put konnyaku in their okonomiyaki. (Learning new things every day...) One person says that she tears konnyaku (probably into small pieces with her fingers or a spoon), and another says she cuts it into strings like "ito (= thread) konnyaku". Konnyaku has some odor, and is usually parboiled before use. According to one comment, bits of konnyaku are also good in takoyaki, instead of octopus.

Here is one example:

http://orion-belt.air-nifty.com/blog/2007/08/post_450a.html

Scroll down to view the sixth photo.

The fifth photo shows bits of chikuwa (tubular fish paste).

Edited April 16, 2008 by Hiroyuki (log)

[MoGa]

Thank you very much Hiroyuki for looking this up for me. It's much appreciated.

I'm sure I'll develop my own ideas/preferences regarding konnyaku but it's invaluable to get an insight like this. I like the parboiled thread suggestion especially.

I'm drawn to the konnyaku option as I imagine it can give some additional texture to a cabbage heavy okonomiyaki patty and make it even lighter (and because I don't eat any meat except for fish, although I'm always interested in vegetarian alternatives).

Bite sized chikuwa pieces might be interesting as a convenient squid substitute. I'll keep a hold of that idea, thanks again.

---

One of the reasons I've become so hooked on okonomiyaki lately is because I get so much pleasure and satisfaction from beating the nagaimo rich batter. There's something I find irresistible about the feel of it against a fork - kind of how it might be if you could whip a completed flan/creme caramel and it would retain its gelatinous integrity (rather than dissolve). I don't like the idea of eating raw okonomiyaki batter, but somehow I'm already drooling, heavily, before I even add the shredded vegetables. It's even eclipsed another of my great kitchen pleasures, that of seeing beads of water collect on a fresh cabbage leaf.

[prasantrin]

My favourite okonomiyaki place puts konnyaku in all of their okonomiyaki. It's sliced match-stick style, and mixed into the batter. I assume it's cooked before added, but I've never asked.

To me, it makes no difference whether it's there or not (i.e. I don't notice it at all), but a former friend used to pick out every piece of konnyaku from the okonomiyaki. It was very annoying, especially considering how much konnyaku was actually in the thing, and how small the pieces were).

When I make it at home, I never add it, but that's more out of laziness than anything else.

[MoGa]

Thanks for the suggestions about how to go about adding konnyaku to okonomiyaki. I've done so a few times now, so I already feel like an old hand.

I cut one block in half for two of us and simmer it in boiling water for a minute or so. I rinse this in cold water and slice it into sheets, these I then cut into matchstick shards.

Here's an okonomiyaki I did a few days ago with konnyaku (I can't remember if I was able to use nagaimo for this one... I've not been able to get hold of any for a while and konyyaku does indeed help with the okonomiyaki batter and grated boiled potato kind I've had to make do with lately).

I forgot to add the ao nori so it's on top of the bonito shavings instead of underneath them - looks pretty in the photos this way.

cabbage, scallion, sakura ebi, konnyaku (the beni shouga is mixed into the batter)

http://bp3.blogger.com/_n1sjt7SfiAw/SB8IaY...h/oko-bowl1.jpg

Sorry it's blurred. Upside down in the pan - sandwiched inside are a layer of prawns, the other side is topped with Soya Bacos bits (I can't bring myself to eat real pig)

http://bp0.blogger.com/_n1sjt7SfiAw/SB8Iao...lurred-pan1.jpg

On the plate

http://bp0.blogger.com/_n1sjt7SfiAw/SB8Iao.../oko-plate1.jpg

http://bp1.blogger.com/_n1sjt7SfiAw/SB8Ia4...o-close-up1.jpg

Edited May 5, 2008 by MoGa (log)

[helenjp]

Okonomiyaki is great with tender spring cabbage, isn't it?

We had okonomiyaki yesterday, from a recipe in this month's NHK Kyo no Ryouri magazine...cabbage shredded and "massaged" with chicken stock powder, mixed with a minimal amount of flour, beaten egg, and grated mountain yam. Pork scraps fried, cabbage mixture poured on top, mixture topped with softened ramen noodles (not the instant type, the "steamed" type). Flipped half way to crisp up the noodle topping, served with kochujang mayonnaise, and a sauce of finely chopped scallions with sesame oil and a little soy sauce. It was very good!

[MoGa]

served with kochujang mayonnaise

←

I'd never thought of combining kochujang and mayonnaise, I definitely, definitely have to try that.

One of our favourite ways of eating cabbage (and you're right, it's especially good right now) is shredded and raw and dressed with mayonnaise, crushed garlic and ponzu. I'm just waiting for the rice to finish so I can make Hiroyuki's maze gohan suggestion. Looks like I've decided on a side dish now.