Need ideas for hearty, veggie-filled meals? We’ve got you! Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake filled with cabbage and served with a bounty of fun toppings including nori, toasted sesame seeds and pickled ginger. Okonomiyaki is another culturally inclusive recipe we’ve added to our curriculum to show our students and families that eating delicious plant-powered meals is not only good for you, but also an exciting way to learn about different foodways. Add this recipe to your weeknight rotation, let us know if you try this at home + tag us @sylviacenter.
Prep Time: 30 mins | Serves: 4 (2 large pancakes)
Notes: dairy-free, gluten-free if using GF breadcrumbs and tamari soy sauce
Ingredients
½ medium Napa cabbage, very finely shredded (final yield approx. 3 C)
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (final yield approx. 1 ¼ C)
1 C panko breadcrumbs
¾ tsp kosher salt
3 large eggs, beaten
Olive oil, for brushing
Okonomiyaki Sauce
4 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp soy sauce
½ Tbsp miso
½–1 Tbsp water
To Serve
2 Tbsp mayonnaise (keep in bottle)
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 Tbsp pickled ginger, roughly chopped (optional)
4 scallions, finely sliced
1 sheet nori, sliced into thin strips
Method
- In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, scallions, panko and salt. Gently mix in the eggs, stirring with a wooden spoon. Note: the batter mixture will be loose, and there should look like there’s a lot of cabbage. Let it sit for 10 mins.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Brush the pan with a little olive oil, and scoop a quarter of the cabbage mixture into the skillet. Flatten gently with a spatula so that the mixture is around ½-inch thick. Cook for 3 mins per side, or until browned, turning the heat to low if needed (the surface may cook faster than the interior if the pan temp is too high). When cooked through, tip onto a plate and repeat with the remaining mixture, wiping out the skillet and brushing with more oil as needed.
- Make the okonomiyaki sauce. Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until combined. Drizzle in the water a little at a time, until the sauce is thin enough to drizzle.
- Assemble the toppings. Remove the lip from the squeeze bottle of mayonnaise. Cover the bottle opening tightly with plastic wrap then, using a toothpick or a small knife, poke 4–6 tiny holes in the plastic wrap. Lighty drizzle each okonomiyaki with mayonnaise, then drizzle with the okonomiyaki sauce. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, pickled ginger, scallions and the shredded nori.
| Ingredients | Substitution |
| Napa cabbage | White cabbage |
| Plain gluten-free breadcrumbs | Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs |
| Soy sauce | Tamari soy sauce (gluten-free) |
Make sure to measure the cabbage, and don’t add more than 3C to the recipe, or there won’t be enough batter to hold it together and flipping will be hard.
Panko breadcrumbs are larger and crispier than regular breadcrumbs, and are important to the texture here. If you have to use regular breadcrumbs, make sure to buy unseasoned.
