Okonomi, literally means – “favorites” , konomi can also mean “something you like” …. plus yaki… as you already know means “to grill”…
You grill your favorite ingredients for Okonomiyaki, often referred to as Japanese pancakes.
The most common ingredients are chopped cabbage, plus the “favorite toppings” - the most popular is sliced pork.
Of course, this would not be complete without the okonomiyaki flour for the batter, that we can buy at the shop :) .
How to make it:
First we chop the cabbage, set it aside.
Then we mix the batter – for two people, about half a cup or one cup of the flour, one egg (I usually put 2 or 3 depending on the size of the eggs), then water… mix the batter, add tenkasu (tempura crumbs).
Mix the batter well until there are no more lumps.
Then, we mix the batter with the chopped cabbage.
Mix your favorite ingredient. As mentioned, we can use pork, but we also use shrimps, squids, a combination of those or whatever… even cheese is good! In my case, I usually cook the pork, shrimps, or squid, by frying them in a spoonful of oil before adding them. Some people just cook them together with the batter.
Then, heat the frying pan or iron plate. Add a little oil, and cook just like the way you make pancakes. Be sure to turn them over when one side is done, so you won’t mess it up. :)
Today we made, squid okonomiyaki.
Squid Okonomiyaki for lunch
We usually eat okonomiyaki by spreading mayonnaise, and the special okonomiyaki sauce – then put some dried bonito flakes on top… sometimes, we also top it with finely chopped green Japanese leeks… “bannou negi” .
There are lots of okonomiyaki shops around Japan. This food is very popular in Osaka and Hiroshima.
According to aboutJapan.com
In Japan, there are mainly two areas where okonomi-yaki is very popular: Osaka and Hiroshima. Okonomiyaki is cooked differently in the two regions. In Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, chopped cabbage is cooked on top of thinly spread batter. Also, yakisoba noodles are usually added in Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.
In Osaka-style okonomiyaki, chopped cabbage is mixed with the batter and cooked together. It might be easier for beginners to cook Osaka-style okonomiyaki than to cook Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. But both okonomiyaki taste really good, so try to make both.
