DIY: Okonomiyaki
Now, for those of you who found yesterday’s post interesting, let me share one of the earliest recipes I found for okonomiyaki on the web:
Okonomiyaki (Osaka-style)
1 8 x 7-inch sheet nori
Sauce:
1/4 cup catsup
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp sake/red wine
1 tsp tamari soy sauce
Okonomiyaki:
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
2 tbsp sake/vodka/white wine
2 cups shredded cabbage (1 1/2 inch strips)
4 spring onions, cut in half lengthwise and into 1 inch strips
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup your choice of filling (crabsticks, shrimp, lean pork, bacon, octopus, various fish, strips of steak, mushrooms, etc.)
Toast the nori by waving it over a flame until it stiffens slightly, but be careful - it burns easily. Crumble into little pieces and set aside.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the flour and water and continue beating until you have a batter the consistency of pancake batter. Add the sake. Fold in the cabbage, and scallions. Be sure to mix the batter and vegetables together evenly. Each okonomiyaki will use 1/4 of this mixture.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a standard 10-inch skillet. Spoon 1/4 of the batter onto the hot skillet (like a pancake) making sure the vegetables are evenly distributed. Then sprinkle 1/2 of the shrimp, crabmeat, or seitan on top. Cook each side on medium heat for 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered for another 5 minutes, occasionally turning and gently pressing the okonomiyaki with a spatula. prepare three more okonomiyaki as above. Keep the finished pancakes warm in a low oven while making the rest, or use two skillets and make two okonomiyaki at a time.
