Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Fritters – Kansai
Style.
A
Japanese Family Feast
This is a
common dish from Japan that is sold at markets and fairs, much like our
hotdogs. It is also a festive food served at home at family gatherings or
special meals together. The Japanese make it on a hot plate in the centre of
the table. There are many restaurants dedicated to this dish, as common as our
fish and chip shops. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my family in
Australia love it too! We make it on the BBQ and all gather around outside for
a slow lunch. We always allow 2 hours of eating and drinking and share it one
piece at a time over friendly conversation and warm laughter. I can make up to
6 large fritters (the size of a dinner plate) at one time on the two hot plates
– I have a big family. Surprisingly,
they can eat almost 2 each!
The Big Party: to
feed about 12-15 people. Makes 16 large patties.
Ingredients:
1 large cabbage, 1 bunch shallots (spring onion), 500g cooked prawns, 500g
fatty bacon, 16 eggs, 1 pkt Japanese finely chopped pink pickled ginger, 2
bottles of kewpie mayonnaise (or any whole egg mayonnaise), Optional: ½ cup finely chopped seaweed, 1 pkt
bonito flakes.
Sauce: 1 cup
Bulldog tonkatsu sauce (or a thick brown sauce eg: HP), ½ cup tomato
ketchup, 2 tbsps worchestershire sauce, 1 tbsp French mustard.
Batter: 1 peeled raw potato, 4 cups
plain flour, 3-4 cups of water or fish stock.
 Slice up
one whole cabbage thinly. Chop spring onion finely. Mix through cabbage and
set aside in a large bowl.
Peel
prawns and chop bacon rashers in thirds, and remove the rind, set aside.
Prepare
the sauce. Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl until mustard
disappears.
Finely
grate the potato, or mash in a food processor. Set aside. Mix the batter
ingredients in a large bowl. Add the potato (and juices) and ginger. Add
water gradually until it resembles a thin batter ready to pour.
Have all
the ingredients ready next to the grill. Make each fritter individually.
Place a large handful of the cabbage, shallot mix into a small bowl. Pour
batter over to coat (about two ladle’s full) and mix well, keep adding
until a little batter runs to the bottom of the bowl. Add one egg and mix
again. Add 5-6 prawns and stir.
On the
hot plate fry 3-4 strips of bacon on one side. Turn over and place them
close together on the pan. Pour the okonomiyaki mixture on top and use a
spatula to form a round shape. Turn BBQ heat to medium. Cook for 5 mins,
until the surface is well browned.
Using two firm spatulas flip the patty. Reform the patty again using
the spatula to keep it round. Press down on the top and leave to cook a
further 5-10 mins, until cooked through. Flip again. Using a basting brush,
spread the sauce over the top generously. Squeeze mayonnaise over the top.
Optional: sprinkle finely chopped seaweed and bonito flakes over the top to
finish.
Cut the
patty into 4 or 6 triangles. For large parties people take a slice at a
time, but for smaller groups people can request their own okonomiyaki and
make them individually.
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I find it
easier to make a large batch of the batter to start, but to mix the individual
fritters in a separate bowl one at a time before pouring onto the hot plate.
This ensures you have one egg per fritter and makes a nicer consistency. You
will need lots of eggs and finely sliced cabbage!
 |
I cook the bacon first on one side,
then turn the bacon and pour the cabbage
batter on top. |
 |
| Flipping the patties |
Smaller Quantities: Ingredients for 4
patties:
¼ cabbage, sliced thinly, 3 shallots, 1
cup cooked prawns, 4 rashers bacon, 4 eggs, 1 pkt Japanese finely chopped pink
pickled ginger, 1 bottle kewpie mayonnaise.
½ peeled raw potato, 1 cup plain flour,
1-2 cups water.
Sauce ingredients remain the same.
 |
I close the lid of the BBQ and wait
for the patties to cook through. |
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| Cooked and ready to have the sauce put on |
Tips: To
make the pretty pattern of mayonnaise over the top, poke a hole in the
mayonnaise lid with a nail. Squeeze the mayonnaise through the lid using fast movements
back and forth over the patty.
Using a
Barbie-mate or pizza cutter to cut the patties on the BBQ makes it easier to
serve.
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| Lifting onto the egg |
Hiroshima-Yaki.
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Break the egg onto the hotplate and
mix around, lift the cabbage mixture
on top before the egg sets. |
These photos are of a Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki. This is a popular version of the above, using the same ingredients. The only difference is that the ingredients aren't mixed together, they are layered.
Spread the batter on the hot plate, then arrange the cabbage and fillings on top. Leave to cook until batter is browned. Break an egg onto the hot plate and mixed around with a spatula forming a circle. Flip the cabbage patty upside-down onto the egg before it sets. Leave to cook, then flip one last time to put sauce and mayonnaise on top. This needs a bit of skill and confidence in the flipping, but can be a lot of fun, if it spills everywhere, then just shape it back into a circle again :).
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| Inside the layered Hiroshima-yaki. |
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When layering the Hiroshima-yaki we often add noodles
that have been tossed in the sauce. |
Use any
kind of seafood or thinly sliced beef or pork. Some people like chunks of
cheese in theirs, or create your own ideas!
