Cabbage Pancakes (Okonomiyaki) - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

Which cabbage is best for okonomiyaki? ›

Okonomiyaki is traditionally made with dashi, the essential Japanese soup stock, so if you have it, please use it in place of the vegetable stock. Half a regular-sized cabbage is all you'll need for this recipe and you could also substitute with purple cabbage.

Okonomiyaki is healthy!

Because Okonomiyaki is made from various kinds of ingredients, such as eggs, meat and vegetables, it contains much of our daily nutritional requirements.

The most traditional preparation would not even use Okonomiyaki flour at all, but would take regular wheat flour and add fresh grated Nagaimo or Yamaimo (Japanese mountain yam) to get the sticky glutinous texture that holds everything together.

Okonomiyaki are savory, fried Japanese pancakes that are crisp on the outside and custardy at their core. They traditionally feature cabbage and pork, but this meatless version opts for spinach, zucchini and Napa cabbage.

It tastes similar to green cabbage. However, the purple variety is richer in beneficial plant compounds that have been linked to health benefits, such as stronger bones and a healthier heart. Purple cabbage is also thought to lower inflammation and protect against certain types of cancers.

Okonomiyaki is sometimes translated into English as "as-you-like-it pancake". However, this may be misleading. Though it does consist of batter cooked on a griddle, okonomiyaki has nothing of the sweetness or fluffiness of pancakes, not to mention that it is usually filled with octopus, shrimp, pork, yam or kimchi.

They are typically served topped with mayonnaise, a Japanese style barbecue sauce and are sprinkled with bonito flakes which appear to 'dance' as they move around in the heat rising from the pancake.

The main difference is in how they are prepared and the relative amounts of each ingredient. In Osaka style okonomiyaki, all of the ingredients are mixed together and cooked together. In Hiroshima style okonomiyaki, all of the ingredients are layered almost like a cake.

The word "okonomiyaki" is derived from "okonomi" meaning "as you like" and "yaki" meaning "grilled. It's commonly referred to as being a Japanese pancake. Accurate to its name, okonomiyaki can be served with a variety of toppings which include everything from meat and seafood to vegetables and cheese.

To make healthy pancakes, use whole-wheat or another whole-grain (cornmeal, oats or buckwheat) flour instead. Whole-wheat flour has 16 grams of fiber per cup compared to 3 grams of fiber in white flour.

What is the cousin of okonomiyaki? ›

A close cousin to okonomiyaki is hiroshimayaki, or Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.

Bonito flakes - known as katsuobushi in Japanese - are a strange food upon first sight. They are known to move or dance when used as a topping on foods such as okonomiyaki and takoyaki.

Both are excellent sources of important vitamins and minerals. Regular cabbage contains more calcium, zinc and potassium than napa, but napa cabbage contains higher levels of vitamins A, B3, iron and copper. Napa is also lower in sodium than regular cabbage.

Okonomiyaki Recipe Tips

If your cabbage is too chunky, they won't hold together well, and they'll have a denser, less delicate texture. I always use my mandoline when I make this recipe. If you don't have one, finely shred the cabbage in a food processor or with a sharp knife. Don't pack it down too much.

As for aonori, it's a type of green seaweed that is usually sprinkled on top of okonomiyaki as a fine powder.

Japanese Spring Cabbage

In Japanese, cabbage that's harvested in early spring is called haru-kyabetsu (spring cabbage).

Many people prefer savoy cabbage to regular cabbage because of its milder flavour and tender leaves. This is the perfect cabbage for using raw and thinly sliced in salads, stir-fries, or braised with butter. Savoy cabbage works nicely as a fresh and crunchy wrap – you can substitute it for rice paper or tortillas.

Like savoy, napa cabbage has a delicate texture and sweeter flavor compared to red and green cabbage. Its leaves aren't quite as soft as savoy, so they add a mild crunch to raw dishes. When cooked, the sweetness intensifies, making it an ideal choice for sauteing or grilling.

Also known as pointed, hispi, or Chinese cabbage, the name sweetheart is used because of its sweet flavour, and because the French word for cabbage, chou, is used as a pet name for a sweetheart, not, as you might think, because it has a shape like a heart.