One kind of Okonomiyaki
Japanese Savoury Pancake with Kimchi, Mochi & Natto
Okonomiyaki translates to "fry what you like," and that's exactly how this dish should be approached—as a leftover fry-up, a family cooking project, a use-it-up meal similar to bubble and squeak or a frittata. It's never sweet, always substantial, and absolutely perfect for using up shredded cabbage from your sauerkraut making or those tough outer leaves you'd otherwise discard.
This is the kind of meal where you place ingredients on the table and everyone mixes their own combination, cooking together around a tabletop griddle or taking turns at the stove. It's interactive, warm, communal—a true "roll your own" experience like temakizushi (hand-rolled sushi night).
Our fermentation twist: We've added kimchi for tang and heat, mochi cubes for stretchy texture, and natto for that unmistakable umami funk.
Essential Ingredients
For the batter (makes 4 pancakes):
- 1 cup plain flour (better if you can buy the kind with Yams in it from as Asian food store - if so - no need for the baking and dashi powder)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup dashi stock (or water with 1 teaspoon dashi powder)
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of salt
The cabbage base:
- 4 cups shredded cabbage (approximately ½ medium head—use your sauerkraut scraps!)
- 4 spring onions, finely chopped
The Fermentary additions:
- ½ cup chopped kimchi (excess liquid squeezed out)
- 100g mochi, cut into 1cm cubes
- 2-3 tablespoons natto (optional, but recommended)
Optional proteins:
- Thinly sliced pork belly (for hot pot)
- Prawns, chopped
- Bacon
- Or keep it vegetarian!
Essential toppings:
- Okonomiyaki sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- Kewpie mayonnaise (this is non-negotiable!)
- Aonori (dried green seaweed flakes)
- Katsuobushi (bonito flakes—they'll "dance" on the hot pancake)
- Pickled ginger (benishōga)
- Extra spring onions, sliced
Method
Prepare the batter:
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs with dashi stock.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined (lumps are fine).
- Rest the batter for 10-15 minutes.
Set up your okonomiyaki station:
Place all your mix-ins in small bowls on the table: shredded cabbage, chopped kimchi, spring onions, mochi cubes, natto, tenkasu, and any proteins. Have everyone create their own combination in individual bowls, or work together to make a few different flavour variations. For each pancake, combine about 1 cup shredded cabbage with a portion of batter (it should be loose and cabbagey, not thick like traditional pancake batter).
Cook the pancakes: Heat a non-stick frying pan or electric griddle over medium heat. Lightly oil the surface. Scoop mixture onto the pan and shape into a round pancake about 2cm (¾ inch) thick. Don't press down—let it stay fluffy! If using pork belly or bacon, lay thin strips across the top. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Peek underneath to check. Flip carefully (use two spatulas if needed) and cook another 4-5 minutes until cooked through and both sides are nicely browned.
Finish and serve: Transfer to a plate and immediately brush liberally with okonomiyaki sauce. Drizzle Kewpie mayo in zigzag lines across the top. Sprinkle with aonori, katsuobushi (watch them dance!), pickled ginger, and spring onions. Serve immediately while hot. Goes great with a cold beer and a warm sake.
Customisation Ideas
Make it your own:
- Seafood lovers: Add chopped prawns, squid, or octopus
- Cheese pull: Add shredded mozzarella or cheddar
- Mushroom boost: Mix in shiitake, enoki, or oyster mushrooms
- Extra crunch: Add bean sprouts or tenkasu
Fermentation variations:
- Swap kimchi for sauerkraut (squeeze dry first)
- Add water kefir grains that need using up (just kidding!)
- Mix in chopped preserved vegetables
- Use kombucha SCOBY... (also kidding)
Tips for Success
- Cabbage prep: Shred cabbage into roughly 3cm pieces—not too fine or it becomes soggy, not too chunky or the pancake won't hold together.
- Batter ratio: The mixture should look more like dressed coleslaw than pancake batter. If it seems too dry, let it sit for 10 minutes—the cabbage will release moisture.
- Mochi magic: The mochi will soften and create delightful stretchy pockets throughout the pancake.
- Natto notes: If you're nervous about natto, start with just 1 tablespoon mixed through. The cooking process mellows its intensity. It's nutritional value survives the hear.
- Don't press! Resist the urge to flatten the pancake while cooking—you want it light and airy, not dense.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowls
- Non-stick frying pan or electric griddle/teppanyaki plate
- Spatula (two make flipping easier)
- Squeeze bottles for sauce and mayo (optional but fun)
Make it a Party
Set up a tabletop cooker and let everyone mix their own combination, cook their own pancake, and customize toppings. It's messy, interactive, and absolutely delicious—the kind of meal that brings people together around the table.
Yields: 4 generous pancakes
Time: 15 minutes prep + 30 minutes cooking
Find it in the shop: We stock, of course, kimchi. Buy Natto from the freezer in your local Asian foodstore or make your own - it's as easy as yoghurt.
Ingredients
Some of the ingredients won’t be in your regular store, so you may need to buy up when you see them (we also stock some of these in our store). If Okonomiyaki didn’t taste so good - the Katsuoboshi might be the main attraction. You can find it in little packets pre-shredded - or if you’d like to bring it up a level - get the impressive whole fish and the wooden grater to shave over the top to watch it come alive and dance, a kind of drama that brings this easy dish up a level in foodie land.
Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour*
- ¼ teaspooon salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 180ml dashi **
- ½ - 1 cabbage (or any leftovers from kraut making)
- 4 large eggs
- Vegetable oil
Filling Ideas
- kimchi - chopped and you could use the juice in the dashi
- mochi - chopped into small 1 cm squares and a 30-50g natto
- bacon
- sausage out of it’s casing
- any seafood - prawns, calamari, scallops, small dried fish etc.
- garlic, spring onions, cheese
Okonomi Sauce (this can easily be found in Asian food section or stores but here is an easy way to whip up something similar)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 4 Tbsp ketchup
- 4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
TOPPINGS - this is the fun part and very important!
Okonomi Sauce, Kewpie Mayonnaise, Katsuoboshi (dried bonito), Anonori - (dried seaweed finely chopped), Pickled Red Ginger
* look for special Okonomiyaki flour from your local Japanese store. It usually has a mountain yam flour in it - look for that. If you can’t find that - perhaps look for the yam and grate a chunk of it into the mixture.
** this is a japanese stock - you could also use other stocks you have or even just water
Method
- Mix the batter together - add the fillings - place on oiled hotpan and after it’s cooked to a ‘liftable state’ flip. OR if you are doing this as a cook your own at the table (for four for example) then divide the ingredients into four small bowls and let each person crack their eggs into it, stir and then add their chosen ingredients together. Favourite combinations - chopped kimchi and grated cheese, bacon and cheese, natto and chopped mochi.
- Cook gently so it’s soft on the inside, crunchy, saucy and mayonnaise-y on the outside. You’ll need to flip it at some point. Some people put cheese and stuff on the top and then cover with a lid to encourage melting, so it’s like a pizza. Usually, after you’ve flipped it, you’ll paint on the toppings with a brush and squirt the Kewpie and sprinkle the seaweed and then the katsuoboshi. And a little pop of colour to the top with the red pickled ginger if you have it.
- Eat from the hot plate or serve in wedges.
