Ingredients

For the pancake

• Half a head of cabbage, white or nappa – finely chopped about 370g | 13oz.
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour – 70g
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• A small 1/2 cup dashi – 100ml (see substitutions for alternatives)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp (packed) pickled ginger + 2 tsp of its pickling liquid (optional)
• Neutral oil for frying

For the toppings

• Kewpie mayo
• Okonomiyaki sauce (or tonkatsu sauce)
• Aonori*
• Katsuobushi / dried bonito flakes (optional)

(*) you can also blits one or 2 nori sheets in a food processor

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt and sugar.
2. Mix in dashi, or other broth of choice (picture 1).
3. Add eggs and whisk well to remove any lumps (picture 2).
4. Chop pickled ginger and mix into the batter (picture 3).
5. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat (it will loosely run across pan when heated).
6. Whilst the oil is heating, finely chop cabbage (you can use a food processor to save more time).
7. Add cabbage to the batter and mix well (picture 4).**
8. Place half of the cabbage batter in the pan and pat down into a thick circle of approx. 1/2 in height (1.5 cm) (picture 5).***
9. Cook for 3 to 5min, until the bottom starts to brown and top starts to set (like pancakes).
10. Flip. Flipping can be tricky, I use the Spanish tortilla method:
    • Slide the okonomiyaki out of the pan and onto a plate (picture 6).
    • Place your hand firmly under the plate, place the frying pan over the okonomiyaki (picture 7).
    • Holding pan and plate firmly together, briskly flip pan and plate so that the pancake lands into the pan uncooked side down (picture 8).
    • Cook for another 3min.
    • Slide okonomiyaki back onto the plate.
    • Repeat for second okonomiyaki.
11. Top with okonomiyaki sauce, kewpie mayo, aonori and katsuobushi.