Okonomiyaki

Japanese savoury pancake

Ingredients

• *MAKES ABOUT 4 – 6 PANCAKES*
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 1/4 cups water (or fish stock)
• 4 – 6 eggs (one per pancake)
• 3 spring onions (finely chopped)
• 1 pepper (thinly sliced)
• 3 rashers unsmoked bacon
• (To garnish– the following ingredients can be found at most Asian food retailers:)
• Shredded nori (that’s Japanese seaweed)
• Bonito flakes
• Okonomiyaki sauce (if you don’t have it, HP sauce or barbeque sauce will do)
• Mayonnaise

Instructions

STEP 1:

1. Mix the flour and water (or stock) to form a batter. Leave it to rest in the fridge for about an hour.

STEP 2:

STEP 3:

2. When you return, thoroughly mix in the eggs. Make sure you turn your hob on now so it’s good and hot. Slice the bacon horizontally and then vertically so it becomes 4 neat strips (unless you bought streaky bacon, in which case cut it directly in half horizontally).

STEP 4:

STEP 5:

3. Take about a cup of mixture and pour neatly into the hot pan so it makes a rough circular shape. Fry until the edges start to solidify a bit (I think it’s 3 minutes or so) and then sprinkle some spring onions and peppers onto the top. Neatly lay 2 bits of bacon into the batter and then flip it over. Cook for another 3 minutes until done. You’ve just cooked your first one!

STEP 6:

STEP 7:

4. Transfer the okonomiyaki to a warm plate. Add any combination of the toppings you like. I like bonito flakes– they’re essentially dried fish flakes but when sprinkled onto something hot, they dance! :O

STEP 8:

STEP 9:

5. Repeat the cooking process until the batter is all gone.