Okonomiyaki

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 0.75 cup dashi stock
• 0.5 cup nagaimo (Japanese mountain yam) – peeled and finely grated
• 2 large eggs – lightly beaten
• 0.25 tsp fine salt
• 4 cups cabbage – finely chopped
• 0.5 cup green onions – thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp beni shoga (red pickled ginger) – finely chopped
• 0.5 cup tempura scraps (tenkasu)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil – for greasing skillet, divided
• 6 ounces pork belly – thinly sliced
• okonomi sauce – for serving
• Japanese mayonnaise – for serving
• aonori (seaweed flakes) – for serving
• katsuobushi (bonito flakes) – for serving

Instructions

1. Prep the vegetables: Finely chop the cabbage and thinly slice the green onions and beni shoga, 10 minutes.
2. Make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, dashi, eggs, grated nagaimo, and salt until smooth, 1–2 minutes. Let the batter rest to hydrate, 10 minutes.
3. Fold in the mix-ins: Add the cabbage, green onions, beni shoga, and tenkasu to the batter and fold until the cabbage is evenly coated but not crushed, 1 minute.
4. Heat the pan: Preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat (about 350°F) and brush with 1 tbsp neutral oil until shimmering, 2 minutes.
5. Cook the first okonomiyaki: Spoon in half the batter and shape into an 8-inch round about 1 inch thick. Lay half the pork belly slices across the top in a single layer and press lightly. Cover and cook until the bottom is golden and the edges look set, 5–6 minutes.
6. Flip and finish: Using two spatulas, flip so the pork side is down and cook uncovered until the pork is browned and the center feels set and springy, 5–6 minutes. Flip once more to pork-side up and cook to re-warm the surface, 1–2 minutes.
7. Sauce and serve: Transfer to a plate. Brush with okonomi sauce, drizzle Japanese mayonnaise, and sprinkle with aonori and katsuobushi; serve immediately while hot.
8. Repeat: Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan and repeat steps 5–7 with the remaining batter and pork, 12–15 minutes.