Hearty Japanese cabbage pancake, soft in the center and golden on the edges, with crispy pork belly. The sweet and savory sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, and bonito flakes make it an instant, rich, and very lively dish.
Ingredients
- 500 g finely shredded white cabbage
- 160 g all-purpose flour
- 4 pieces eggs
- 200 g thinly sliced fresh pork belly
- 180 ml dashi or cold water
- 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 6 tbsp okonomiyaki sauce
- 4 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- to taste aonori or dried seaweed flakes
- to taste katsuobushi, dried bonito flakes
Method
- Whisk the flour with the eggs and cold dashi until you get a thick but supple batter; stop as soon as almost no lumps remain to avoid a rubbery texture.
- Add the shredded cabbage and fold with a spatula for one minute, just until every shred is coated without crushing the cabbage.
- Heat a large oiled pan over medium heat; the surface should gleam, and a small drop of batter should sizzle gently, not burn.
- Drop the batter into thick, even pancakes, then lightly pack the edges with the spatula; cook until the bottom is deeply golden and the edges start to hold together.
- Lay the pork belly slices over the still-raw top, press gently so they adhere, then flip with a confident motion when the pancake releases easily from the pan.
- Cover and continue cooking over medium-low heat until the cabbage is tender, the batter no longer looks wet in the center, and the pork is golden and crispy.
- Flip one last time so the pork is facing up, and cook uncovered until less steam escapes and the pancake smells like grilled cabbage and roast pork.
- Brush immediately with okonomiyaki sauce, drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise, then finish with aonori and bonito flakes if available; serve piping hot, while the flakes are still dancing from the heat.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 526.3 kcal
- Protein
- 21.8 g
- Carbohydrate
- 37.78 g
- Fat
- 31.65 g
- Fibre
- 3.01 g
- Calcium
- 91.17 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 34.47 mg
