← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 70 g plain or cake flour
• 120 ml Water
• 1 tsp Mirin
• 300 g green cabbage, very finely shredded
• 100 g Bean sprouts
• 2 Spring onion, finely sliced
• 4 tbsp Tenkasu (tempura bits)
• 2 tbsp Bonito flakes
• 6 slices thin slices of pork belly (about 120 g)
• 2 portions of pre-steamed yakisoba noodles
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp Okonomiyaki sauce
• 1 tsp Aonori (green seaweed flakes)
• pickled red ginger and mayonnaise, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Whisk the flour, water and mirin into a smooth, thin batter and rest it for 10 min. Make the pancakes one at a time, keeping the first warm in a low oven (100°C / 210°F).
2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan or griddle over medium heat and wipe with oil. Pour in a small ladle of batter and spread it with the back of the ladle into a thin 20 cm crêpe.
3. Sprinkle half the bonito flakes over the crêpe, then pile on half the cabbage (it will look far too much), the bean sprouts, tenkasu and spring onion. Lay 3 pork slices across the top and drizzle over 1 tbsp batter to glue it together.
4. After 3 min, when the crêpe is set, slide two wide spatulas underneath and flip the whole stack in one confident move. Cook for 8–10 min, without pressing hard, so the cabbage steams and collapses and the pork crisps.
5. Meanwhile, in a second pan, fry one portion of noodles in a little oil with 1 tbsp okonomiyaki sauce for 2–3 min, shaping them into a disc the size of the pancake. Slide the pancake on top of the noodles.
6. Crack an egg into the empty pan, break the yolk and spread it into a circle. Lift the noodle stack onto the egg and cook for 1–2 min until set, then flip the whole thing so the egg is on top.
7. Brush with okonomiyaki sauce, sprinkle with aonori and serve with pickled ginger and mayonnaise.

Tips

• Udon noodles instead of yakisoba make the popular "udon-tama" version.
• Two spatulas and a quick, low flip are the secret; if the stack slips apart just push it back together.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook RecipeTin Japan Chopstick Chronicles