Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancakes) Recipe | A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

What are the two types of okonomiyaki? ›

The main difference is in how they are prepared and the relative amounts of each ingredient. In Osaka style okonomiyaki, all of the ingredients are mixed together and cooked together. In Hiroshima style okonomiyaki, all of the ingredients are layered almost like a cake.

OtaJoy's label lists sugar, white vinegar, molasses, salt, tomato paste, apple, carrot, peach, dates, onions, raisins, mushrooms, garlic, kelp and spices (you didn't think we were going to give away our secrets, now did you?) among other ingredients.

Okonomiyaki originated from a thin pancake from the Edo period called funoyaki that was served at Buddhist ceremonies. Later, during and after the war, when food was scarce in Japan, it became more and more common to eat wheat pancakes made with whatever was available on hand to mix into them.

There are two major steps that distinguish Japanese pancakes from American pancakes: folding in whipped egg whites, and cooking them in ring molds.

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.

The word "okonomiyaki" is derived from "okonomi" meaning "as you like" and "yaki" meaning "grilled. It's commonly referred to as being a Japanese pancake. Accurate to its name, okonomiyaki can be served with a variety of toppings which include everything from meat and seafood to vegetables and cheese.

Okonomi sauce, also known as okonomiyaki sauce is a sweet-savoury Japanese condiment, with rich flavours similar to thick Worcestershire sauce. As its name suggests, the sauce is the traditional topping for Okonomiyaki savoury pancakes, but is also a great accompaniment to takoyaki and pork belly dishes.

A classic topping is pork belly slices, placed on top of the savory pancake while grilling. Once cooked, okonomiyaki is topped with a variety of condiments such as okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, dried seaweed, and dried bonito flakes.

If you're not familiar with it, it's sort of a frittata-like Japanese savory pancake made with cabbage, scallions, and assorted meat or seafood (Jack often calls it a cabbage hashbrown). This homemade version isn't entirely authentic, but it's healthy, delicious, and so darn easy to make.

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a Japanese food dish of a pan-fried batter cake and different ingredients including meat, seafood, and vegetables. Most okonomiyaki has cabbage in it. The name of this dish means "cook what you like".

What is the Tokyo version of okonomiyaki? ›

A type of pan-fried batter or savoury pancake, monjayaki is Tokyo's answer to okonomiyaki, the iconic dish of Hiroshima and Osaka. Monjayaki retains a slightly runny appearance much like melted cheese even when cooked – but the delicious concoction tastes better than it looks.

Okonomiyaki is popular all over Japan, particularly in the Kansai region, which includes Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, and in Hiroshima, some 300km down the Inland Sea coast from Osaka.

Souffle pancakes are predominantly made of eggs so it's normal for them to taste like eggs but they shouldn't be overly eggy. The vanilla extract helps reduce the eggy taste. You can replace some of the milk with more vanilla extract if you wish.

No, unfortunately they're not the same thing. The first problem is a problem of base seasoning—Korean pancake mix usually has a more savory flavor profile of onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, etc. Okonomiyaki has sugar and dashi as primary flavoring.

Japanese pancakes date back to the 16th century when they were used as a part of a tea ceremony. The savory delicacies were made with flour, water, and sake and char-grilled. Sweet miso was then spread on the relatively thin creation and then rolled up to be eaten in a bite-sized portion.

For Kansai-style okonomiyaki, ingredients are mixed into a flour batter and then cooked as a single-layered pancake. In contrast, the Hiroshima-style layers its ingredients, beginning with a thin fried egg and crepe-like batter followed by vegetables, meat and stir-fried noodles.

Okonomiyaki, hailing from Osaka, features a thick batter loaded with cabbage and ingredients mixed together and cooked like a pancake. Monjayaki, from Tokyo, stands out with a thinner, runnier batter and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Ingredients are first cooked separately, and then the batter is added.

Okonomiyaki uses a pancake type batter. This is then mixed with cabbage and other ingredients such as seafood and various meats. This is then fried like a normal pancake, just until the dough is cooked in the centre. On the other hand, Tonpeiyaki uses eggs to create a type of omelette.

There's one main difference between negiyaki and standard okonomiyaki; there's no cabbage in this option. Instead, the cabbage is swapped with green onion. You'll have a much stronger onion flavor, though your pancakes will be equally delicious.