OKONOMIYAKI RECIPE

This month we have one new team member joining the Melbourne Din(n)ing blog. My sister-in-law is the best cook / baker and she'll be sharing some of her recipes with us. Here is what she has to say: 

Hi Foodies!  I’m the newest member of the Melbourne Din(n)ing Blog team.  Here with some easy recipes and hopefully provide you with some cooking tips and tricks as well.

I know cooking can sometimes take a little longer than you would like.  You’re hungry and want to have a healthy, filling meal sorted quickly.  My first recipe is my version of Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancake).  The beauty of this recipe is that you can pretty much put whatever vegetables and meat you would like.

Okonomiyaki

Makes approximately 8-10 large Okonomiyaki pancakes

Serves about 4 people

Time: Approximately 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cabbage, finely shredded

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, grated

250g smoked salmon, roughly chopped

1/2 bunch coriander, roughly chopped

2 cups plain flour (for a healthier option, substitute 1 cup of white plain flour for wholemeal plain flour)

1 tablespoon chicken stock powder

Salt & pepper, to taste

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups water

To Serve:

Japanese Mayonnaise (Kewpie)

Okonomiyaki Sauce

Note: Japanese mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce can be found in most Asian grocery stores.

Method:

Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix.  Add a little more water if the batter looks too thick or add a little more plain flour if the batter looks too wet.  The consistency should look like normal pancake mixture with loads of veggies through it.

Use spray oil to coat the base of a frypan.  Heat over a medium heat and add large spoonfuls of batter into the pan.  Try and keep them round and flatten slightly with a spoon.  

Cook for approximately 5 minutes until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side for another 5 minutes or so until golden brown.  You want to make sure that the batter is cooked through to the middle of each pancake, so make sure you keep an eye on the heat.  

Tip:  If you have multiple pans, you can potentially cook double the amount at the same time.  Otherwise, turn on the oven to about 160 degrees Celsius and keep the first few Okonomiyakis in the oven while you make the others.  You want to serve your Okonomiyaki pancakes hot.

Once all the pancakes are made, serve with an artist squirt of Okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise.  Dig in and enjoy!