Okonomiyaki (Kansai-Style)

Ingredients

• 8 cups cabbage (about half a large cabbage), finely diced
• 1 cup squid, shrimp, or other ingredients (optional), chopped into small pieces
• Oil
• 1/2 lb sliced pork belly or bacon, cut into 3 inch pieces

Okonomiyaki Batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 2-3 inch Nagaimo/Yamaimo, grated (or 4 Tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch with 4 Tablespoons water)
• 3/4 cup dashi, or 3/4 cup water with 1 tsp. Hondashi powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup tempura scraps
• 1/4 cup pickled red ginger (Kizami Beni Shoga)

Toppings

• Okonomi sauce
• Mayonnaise (preferably squirt-able)
• Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
• Dried greem seaweed powder (Aonori)
• Green onions, finely chopped
• Pickled red ginger (Kizami Beni Shoga) for garnish

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.
2. Grate Nagaimo in the bowl and add dashi stock.
3. Whisk well and keep in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, remove the core of the cabbage and finely dice the cabbage (finer the better).
5. Take out the batter from the fridge and prepare the rest of ingredients on the kitchen counter.
6. In the bowl, add eggs, tempura scraps, and pickled ginger, and mix well. Then add squid or other ingredients and mix again.
7. Stir in the cabbage.
8. In a non-stick frying pan heat oil on medium to medium high heat. Scoop one ladle of batter and place on the pan. Do not flatten the mixture because it will easily break when you turn it over.
9. Place 2-3 sliced pork belly or bacon on top of Okonomiyaki and cook, covered, for 5 minutes.
10. When the bottom side is nicely browned, turn it over and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes.
11. Turn over one more time and cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
12. To serve: Apply Okonomi Sauce and mayonnaise, and sprinkle katsuobushi. You can also put dried green seaweed, green onions and pickled red ginger on top for garnish.

Notes

• Okonomiyaki freezes well. Once it cools down (no toppings or sauce), wrap each okonomiyaki in aluminum foil and put it in a Ziploc bag. When you want to eat it, defrost first and put it in a toaster oven to warm it up.