Okonomiyaki

Hey Everyone,

So, this week I'm making a popular Japanese dish called okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is an incredibly versatile dish which is translated into "how you like" from "okonomi" and "grill" from "yaki". They are often called "How you like it pancakes", though the name is a bit of a misnomer as they don't really have the same texture or taste.
The savoury pancake is called the "how you like it pancakes" because after the two staple ingredients of the batter and cabbage, you can add whatever you like as a topping - this can be anything from meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese. The recipe I used contains spring onions, ginger and carrot with a topping of wasabi mayonnaise and toasted sesame seeds, a combination with amazing results!

Japanese-Style Shredded Vegetable Pancakes - From a Waitrose magazine

Prepare Time - 10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 10 Minutes
Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients -

• 100ml Vegetable Stock, cooled
• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 Large Eggs
• 50g Plain Flour
• 2 Tsp Finely Chopped Fresh Ginger
• 4 Salad Onions, finely chopped
• 65g Pointed Cabbage (about 3 leaves), stalks removed and very thinly sliced
• 1 Large Carrot
• 1 Tbsp Sunflower Oil

To Serve

• 1 Tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 Tsp Wasabi Paste
• 1 Tsp Sesame Seeds, toasted
• Sushi Pickled Ginger

1. In a bowl, whisk together the stock, soy and eggs until well combined. Place the flour in a separate bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the stock mixture. Whisk to a smooth batter, then stir in the ginger, salad onions, cabbage and carrot.

2. Heat half of the oil in a small (about 21cm) frying pan. Spoon in half of the mixture and cook over a medium heat until a golden crust starts to form around the edges and the bottom is golden and set.

3. Use the spatula to flip the pancake over and cook for 3 minutes more until set. Tip out onto a chopping board and repeat with the remaining mixture.

4. Mix together the mayonnaise and wasabi and spoon into a small bowl. Then, cut each pancake into wedges and serve with the wasabi mayonnaise, toasted sesame seeds and pickled ginger alongside.

Please Enjoy!!!