Okonomiyaki – Japanese Pancake (Vegetarian)

Okonomiyaki - Japanese Pancake (Vegetarian) is a traditional Japanese dish that is crispy, savory and filled with the goodness of vegetables and eggs. This dish has both vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions. Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) can be prepared in many different ways as it is reflected in the dish's name; "okonomi" literally means "to one's liking". "Okonomiyaki" is loved across Japan and is often described as a "Japanese-style pizza". It  is particularly popular in the cities of Hiroshima and Osaka. Okonomiyaki is made using large amounts of cabbage that comes with high amounts of dietary fiber. Traditional Japanese Okonomiyaki calls for non-vegetarian toppings but I have used only Vegetarian ingredients. The fiber from cabbage is proven to have the ability to "remove" excessive fat, salt and cholesterol from the food we take. My recipe uses just 5 main ingredients – Freshly grated cabbage, grated carrots, eggs, breadcrumbs, and spring onions. I have used two special sauces to garnish the Okonomiyaki – One with mayonnaise and Sriracha red chili sauce and the other made with a reduction of Soy sauce, brown sugar, Ketchup, salt, grated ginger, and vinegar. You can further enhance the taste by topping with dried seaweed. The sauces make a big difference to how the Okonomiyaki tastes. The Mayo-Sriracha sauce gives a distinct creamy taste with a hint of spiciness. The Brown sauce reduction complements the Mayo-Sriracha sauce by adding an Umami, sweet, nutty and smokey taste with a nice aroma of sesame oil. Okonomiyaki is very representative of the Japanese culture as this dish has evolved over many decades. I have used a low-carb version of the Okonomiyaki recipe by skipping the all-purpose flour batter. ( Note : You may choose to add 2-3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour while preparing the mixture if you prefer a more fuller and carb rich version of this dish ). When I made Okonomiyaki for the first time, my wife and kids wondered what dish this is, as they had never heard of such a dish. I had to literally request them to take a bite. Well, I knew I had a winning recipe and a dish when a few days later my family asked me to make Okonomiyaki for dinner! Since then, Okonomiyaki has been a regular dinner time dish at our home. I hope you will find this recipe helpful and tasty. Please rate this recipe and if you have liked it, please share it with your friends. For more updates on new recipes, please subscribe with your email ID.