NANI COOKS! - Okonomiyaki Ready-to-Make Recipe with a Fun Twist!
Have you ever had Okonomiyaki?
If you’ve never tried and don’t know what it is, think of it is as the Japanese version of a scallion pancake! Unlike Korean, Chinese, or Western crepes that are meant to be eaten as an appetizer or as a side dish, Japanese Okonomiyaki is a hearty and filling dish on its own, and an excellent bar snack! Consider ordering Okonomiyaki the next time you are having drinks at an Izakaya.
Short background if you don’t already know: NANI Cooks! is our latest cooking series where we recreate Japanese recipes at home to show that you don’t need fanciful ingredients and equipment to create an authentic and delicious Japanese meal. The recipes are quick, easy, and delicious with most of them taking less than one hour to recreate. Check out our previous recipes, Nikujaga, Tebasaki Wings, and Gyudon here!
Join us this time as we recreate Okonomiyaki at home with the help of Otafuku’s Okonomiyaki Kodawari kit that takes less than 30 minutes! This is by far our most fun series - it felt like we were professional chefs for once! Thanks to Otafuku Sauce Co. Ltd. for sponsoring this! We also have something exciting lined up for all of you, so be sure to scroll through for more information and a video recipe at the end!
What exactly is Okonomiyaki?
Source: Kikkoman
Okonomiyaki is a popular street food originating from Osaka, Japan. Known as the savory version of a Japanese pancake, it is made with flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, and your choice of protein, and topped with different condiments!
The name Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) — literally translates to “grill it as you like”, making this dish very adaptable! While we used pork belly in this recipe, other proteins like seafood, bacon, and even ham would complement extremely well too!
This dish was originally invented in Japan prior to World War 2, and gained popularity during and after the war. The crepe-like dish was a good way to stretch out leftovers, as a single pancake could easily feed up to 2 or 3 people, and the cabbage made it a very filling dish. There are currently two different styles of Okonomiyaki - the Kansai/Osaka style, and the Hiroshima style!
About Otafuku Sauce Co. Ltd. and its Okonomiyaki Kodawari kit
Otafuku Sauce Co. Ltd. produces the famous Okonomi sauce and other condiments such as the Yakisoba sauce, Tonkatsu sauce, Takoyaki sauce, and many more! Their Okonomi sauce is one of the most popular Okonomiyaki sauce brands that not only Japanese love, but chefs love to use them for making Okonomiyaki too!
This time, we tried making Okonomiyaki using Otafuku’s Okonomiyaki Kodawari kit! Each kit serves 4 pax, and it comes with 2 packets of flour, 2 packets of grated yam, 2 packets of tempura scraps, 2 packets of dried seaweed, and 2 Otafuku Exclusive Spatulas! Continue reading to unveil how this kit made the whole experience so fun!
Ingredients for Okonomiyaki
Serves 2
1 packet of flour, 1 packet of grated yam, 1 packet of tempura scraps, 1 packet of dried seaweed from the Otafuku Okonomiyaki Kodawari kit
1 bottle of Otafuku’s Okonomi sauce
2 eggs
1/2 cabbage
2 strips of pork belly (or any other protein)
1 stalk of spring onions/chives
160ml of water
Step 1
Chop 1/2 of your cabbage into bite sized pieces
Step 2
Cut 2 slices of pork belly in half
Pro tip: We found that thinner slices of meat work better!
Step 3
Chop your spring onions/chive into small pieces.
Step 4
Add the 1 packet of flour into a large bowl, and mix in 160ml of water!
Step 5
Add in the 1 packet of grated yam and stir well!
Step 7
Crack in two eggs, and add your spring onions/chives into the batter.
Step 8
Add the 1 packet of tempura crisps into the batter, and mix well!
Step 9
Add in your cabbage!
Step 10
Add the batter to a heated, oiled pan.
Shape the batter into a nice circle shape using the Otafuku’s exclusive spatulas!
Step 11
Cook for about 3 mins before you flip to the other side! Pro tip: Do check the bottom frequently to make sure it is not burnt!
Add your pork belly slices on the top of the Okonomiyaki while the bottom side is cooking!
Step 12
Flip your pancake!
Allow this side to cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 13
After about 3 to 4 minutes (or when your pork bellies are completed cooked), flip again!
Final step
Plate up, and drizzle a generous amount of Otafuku’s Okonomi sauce!
All Done!
And just like that, you’re done!
If you don’t already know. Making Okonomiyaki from scratch is often a lengthy and tedious process. Traditional Okonomiyaki uses Nagaimo yam, which you usually have to grind into a paste and incorporate into the batter. While Nagaimo yam is easily accessible in Japan, it can be difficult to find in Singapore. With this ready-to-make Okonomiyaki set, it saves you a lot of steps and time - all you need is a large bowl and 160ml of water and viola!
Okonomiyaki typically uses pork belly, but if you aren’t a fan of pork belly, get creative and experiment with different proteins! I think that prawns and squid would work extremely well too!
More about Otafuku Sauce Co. Ltd. and an Exclusive Giveaway with NANI!
Otafuku's official website provides many recipes on the types of items you can make from their sauces so you will never run out of things to cook! Furthermore, they also have a Youtube channel and Instagram account for those who prefer visual recipes!
Keen to get some of their condiments for you and your family? You are able to purchase Otafuku's Okonomiyaki sauces and other condiments from Mogushop's official website, or from Fairprice, Meidi-ya Supermarkets and DON DON DONKI in Singapore!
Great news for those staying tuned to this!
In collaboration with Otafuku, we are giving away a set of the Otafuku’s Okonomiyaki Kodawari Kit to 5 lucky NANI winners!
As illustrated earlier, each of these ready-to-make kits serves 4 pax and it comes with the necessary ingredients needed for your Okonomiyaki, 2 Otafuku Exclusive Spatulas, and 1 bottle of Okonomi Sauce!
Check out our Instagram post below on how to participate in this giveaway!
Enjoying our NANI Cooks! series? Check out our previous recipes below!
