Okonomiyaki
The recipe below was my vegetarian twist replacing the more traditional meaty and fishy ingredients. Well, as they say, it's as you like it!
Ingredients
makes 2 large
120g plain flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
¼ tsp baking powder
100g yamaimo (Japanese Yam), grated (or any starchy yam or potato)
200ml vegetarian dashi, (stock made from dried shitake & Kombu seaweed )
4 large eggs
vegetable oil
for the kombu/shitake dashi stock
dried shitake
kombu seaweed sheets
for the miso marinade for the aubergines
for the Okonomiyaki Sauce
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
4 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (or Mushroom Ketchup)
must have toppings
750g white cabbage, finely shredded
In the meantime make the distinctive Okonomiyaki ketchup. Combine all the ingredients together in a small bowl, mixing well until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and adjust as needed. Cover with clingfilm and set aside.
Place the fried aubergine slices on top of the batter. Cover with a lid and cook for at least 5 minutes.
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
80g red miso
2 tbsp brown unrefined sugar
2 small aubergines (approx 350g)
2 tbsp sake
80g red miso
2 tbsp brown unrefined sugar
2 small aubergines (approx 350g)
for the Okonomiyaki Sauce
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
4 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (or Mushroom Ketchup)
must have toppings
750g white cabbage, finely shredded
2 aubergines, thinly sliced and marinated
Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, (or standard mayo)
Okonomi Sauce
2 tsp Aonori (dried green seaweed)
spring onions, thinly sliced
other optional toppings
200g shitake mushrooms
Kisami Beni shoga (pickled red ginger), thinly sliced
tenkasu, tempura batter scraps
fried noodles
fried egg
Method
Begin with making the dashi stock. Pour into a small bowl 250ml of boiling water over the dried shitake and kombu seaweed. Cover and set aside for an hour. Once cooled drain through a sieve, squeezing out as mush liquid as possible.
Begin with making the dashi stock. Pour into a small bowl 250ml of boiling water over the dried shitake and kombu seaweed. Cover and set aside for an hour. Once cooled drain through a sieve, squeezing out as mush liquid as possible.
Thinly slice the aubergines lengthways. Mix together the mirin, sake, miso and sugar.
Place the slices in a shallow tray and pour over the marinade. Cover with clingfilm and set aside for an hour, turning the slices every now and again.
Next prepare the batter. In a large bowl, mix together the plain flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
Peel and finely grate the Japanese yam (or potato). Add the grated yamaimo with the dashi into the bowl. Mix well to combine into a thick batter. Cover the bowl with cling film and rest in the fridge for an hour.
Peel and finely grate the Japanese yam (or potato). Add the grated yamaimo with the dashi into the bowl. Mix well to combine into a thick batter. Cover the bowl with cling film and rest in the fridge for an hour.
In the meantime make the distinctive Okonomiyaki ketchup. Combine all the ingredients together in a small bowl, mixing well until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and adjust as needed. Cover with clingfilm and set aside.
Finely grate the cabbage. Squeeze out as mush excess liquid as possible and set aside for a few minutes to dry out a little. Cover with clingfilm and set aside.
Gently fry the marinated aubergines, just enough to colour them slightly. Set aside.
Once you are ready to cook the Okonomiyaki take the batter out of the fridge. Add the eggs and the shredded cabbage. Fold the mixture together. Mix thoroughly but gently as not to beat out any of the air. It should have a light consistency.
In a large frying pan, heat some vegetable oil on medium heat. Add half the batter, then spread it out to fill the pan. It should be a thickness of over a centimetre. It will rise by 50%.
In a large frying pan, heat some vegetable oil on medium heat. Add half the batter, then spread it out to fill the pan. It should be a thickness of over a centimetre. It will rise by 50%.
Place the fried aubergine slices on top of the batter. Cover with a lid and cook for at least 5 minutes.
With a spatula check the progress of the batter. When it's nicely browned, flip the pancake over, using a plate to make it easier. You could try tossing it but it's quite difficult.
Press the overturned okonomiyaki pancake back into a tidy shape if needs be. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
Flip over again and remove from the heat. Add the okonomiyaki sauce. You could neatly brush the sauce over the entire top but it doesn't need to be that tidy, this is just the base sauce. I prefer to dollop the sauce all over the place with a spoon, in an attempt to drizzle it diagonally.
Press the overturned okonomiyaki pancake back into a tidy shape if needs be. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
Flip over again and remove from the heat. Add the okonomiyaki sauce. You could neatly brush the sauce over the entire top but it doesn't need to be that tidy, this is just the base sauce. I prefer to dollop the sauce all over the place with a spoon, in an attempt to drizzle it diagonally.
Once the sauce is added, carefully slide out the pancake onto a plate. Scatter over your favourite toppings, like fried shitake mushrooms, tempura batter, pickled ginger etc
Finish with plenty of the Kewpie mayonnaise drizzled diagonally, then liberally sprinkle over the Aonori seaweed and sliced spring onions.
Serve hot, cut into quarters.
Comments
Post a Comment