French manufacturer of professional kitchen equipment since 1947
French manufacturer of professional kitchen equipment since 1947
Okonomiyaki is a typically Japanese dish with no real Western equivalent. It is often compared to pizza, crêpes or even omelettes.
As for the origin of the name, “okonomi” means “what you like / want” and yaki « grilled ». A fine representation of these grilled crêpes to be eaten whenever you like.
There is no precise account of how okonomiyaki came about. Its best-known ancestor may be the “funoyaki”, a kind of crêpe enjoyed during Buddhist ceremonies. The first mentions of funoyaki date back to the 16th century.
You will find okonomiyaki in many cities across Japan and in specialist restaurants. But if you fancy making your own okonomiyaki, this article includes a recipe not to be missed.
In Japan, some restaurants even let their customers cook their own directly, thanks to a hot stone built into the table.
For this recipe you will need: 1 packet of katsuobushi « dried bonito », mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce, aonori, 1 10g sachet of powdered dashi, 1 egg, 150 g of meat or fish, 2 Chinese cabbage leaves, 1/2 sachet of baking powder and 100 g of flour.
Start by mixing the flour with the baking powder. Next, heat 100ml of water in a bowl and stir in the half packet of powdered dashi. Then add this dashi to your flour / baking powder mixture, add the egg and mix.
Finely chop the Chinese cabbage leaves and fold them into the batter. This is the point in the recipe where you can add the filling of your choice and mix well.
Successful cooking with our RollerGrill planchas
To cook your okonomiyaki, you can use a frying pan, but a crêpe machine or a plancha is still best. Our Roller Grill planchas are sure to satisfy you.
Place the okonomiyaki batter you prepared earlier on the plancha or crêpe machine, lightly greased with oil. As soon as one side is cooked, flip the crêpe over and cook both sides.
In a frying pan over a medium heat, 5 minutes on each side is enough (check that the filling is thoroughly cooked).
You can pair your okonomiyaki with different ingredients such as octopus, prawns, cheese, noodles (Hiroshima-style), scallops, squid, mushrooms and so on.
As you can see, okonomiyaki goes very well with fish.
Unlike French crêpes, okonomiyaki are eaten like crêpes, that is to say without being folded. Okonomiyaki are filled with savoury toppings, while French crêpes are mainly enjoyed with sweet ingredients.
Vegetarian okonomiyaki? It’s possible! The ingredients you need are Chinese cabbage, flour, vegetable stock, eggs, spring onions, panko breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, salt and nori sheets (dried seaweed).
Cheese and the French: it’s a long love story. So if you would like to add some to your okonomiyaki, it’s entirely possible. Take the batter base you will find at the start of this article and add a very large handful of grated cheese, plus bacon lardons if you wish.
If you enjoy tofu, don’t miss the tofu version of okonomiyaki. For this, you will need eggs, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, coleslaw mix, spring onions, firm tofu, miso paste, toasted sesame oil and canola oil.
There are many versions of okonomiyaki. The Hiroshima version, which contains noodles and a fried egg, is very popular. But the two best known remain those of Osaka and Hiroshima.
For your okonomiyaki, four kinds of cabbage can be used:
It brings a fresh, crunchy feel to the crêpe while keeping every bite tender.
The most accessible choice for everyone, lightly crunchy while holding up as a good base for okonomiyaki.
The red creates a pretty pink hue, and the cabbage’s sweet crunch adds an extra touch to your crêpes.
It is one of the most delicate cabbages. Its fine, crunchy texture adds something extra to your okonomiyaki.
You can find special okonomiyaki flour in Japanese shops. This flour is specially prepared to produce fluffy okonomiyaki.
Okonomiyaki is eaten with okonomi sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. Okonomiyaki sauce is very similar to tonkatsu sauce. It is made from ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce and honey.
Nori or aonori is a dried seaweed that you will find in flakes. It is sprinkled over various dishes, and okonomiyaki in particular.
Okonomiyaki and takoyaki are the two famous dishes created in the city, whose culinary culture is so rich that it is known as the place to « eat yourself bankrupt ».
