Gluten-Free Okonomiyaki Recipe (Japanese Cabbage-Scallion Pancakes) (2024)

FAQs

What kind of flour do you use for okonomiyaki? ›

Okonomiyaki flour is made of unbleached wheat and soy flours, leavening and spices such as kelp for flavor. It's designed to rise naturally on its own, meaning you don't need to add extra ingredients like nagaimo to get thick, fluffy pancakes.

Okonomi sauce is a descendant of Worcestershire sauce, but it is far sweeter and less salty than its British ancestor. This is because Worcestershire's main ingredient and the source of its powerful umami flavor is anchovies, while okonomi sauce's main ingredient is dates.

The main difference is in how they are prepared and the relative amounts of each ingredient. In Osaka style okonomiyaki, all of the ingredients are mixed together and cooked together. In Hiroshima style okonomiyaki, all of the ingredients are layered almost like a cake.

At its simplest, okonomiyaki batter is just flour, eggs and water, though dashi, an intensely savoury, seaweed-based stock often replaces the last.

If you find it impossible to get your hands on Japanese Mountain Yams (Yamaimo), they can be substituted by White Rice Flour, but then your Okonomiyaki will in fact turn into Korean Pancakes instead. Perhaps just check a normal Okonomiyaki recipe, and if you are gluten intolerant, keep looking for those Mountain Yams.

Okonomiyaki is sometimes translated into English as "as-you-like-it pancake". However, this may be misleading. Though it does consist of batter cooked on a griddle, okonomiyaki has nothing of the sweetness or fluffiness of pancakes, not to mention that it is usually filled with octopus, shrimp, pork, yam or kimchi.

Okonomi Sauce Substitutes: If you don't have Okonomi sauce on hand you can make your own. Easy Okonomi Sauce Recipe: Mix 3 tbs of ketchup, with 1 tbs of Worcestershire sauce, with 1 tsp of Soy Sauce.

A classic topping is pork belly slices, placed on top of the savory pancake while grilling. Once cooked, okonomiyaki is topped with a variety of condiments such as okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, dried seaweed, and dried bonito flakes.

Yamaimo/Nagaimo

Japanese yam (either yamaimo which is mountain yam or nagaimo which is long yam), help give the batter a fluffy, bouncy texture. Sometimes people make okonomiyaki without it (just add more baking powder), but I prefer it since it really makes the texture much better.

What is that flaky stuff on okonomiyaki? ›

Katsuobushi (Japanese: 鰹節) is simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis, sometimes referred to as bonito). It is also known as bonito flakes or broadly as okaka (おかか).

Bonito flakes - known as katsuobushi in Japanese - are a strange food upon first sight. They are known to move or dance when used as a topping on foods such as okonomiyaki and takoyaki. It can be an odd sight upon first viewing if moving food makes you squeamish. However, it is nothing to be alarmed about.

Unlike a typical sweet pancake, okonomiyaki is not fluffy or sweet. It's a dense, savory pancake with various proteins cooked into the batter. The method these savory pancakes are served in okonomiyaki restaurants is also very different from sweet pancakes.

Okonomiyaki is Japanese street food at its finest. A cross between a savory pancake and a frittata, okonomiyaki is packed with veggies and protein, creating a satisfying meal.

The word "okonomiyaki" is derived from "okonomi" meaning "as you like" and "yaki" meaning "grilled. It's commonly referred to as being a Japanese pancake. Accurate to its name, okonomiyaki can be served with a variety of toppings which include everything from meat and seafood to vegetables and cheese.

Aside from noodles, in Japan, we use wheat flour for sweets, bread, and tempura too. Commonly, hakurikiko (soft flour) is used for sweets and tempura batter, churikiko (medium flour) is for udon noodles, jun-kyorikiko (semi-hard flour) is for ramen noodles, and kyorikiko (hard flour) is used for bread.

Rice Flours (米粉/komeko)

Rice flours in Japan are either made of non-glutinous rice (used for dishes such as sushi and oyakodon) and glutinous rice (used for mochi in Japanese cooking and often seen in the US as the main ingredient for mango sticky rice at Thai restaurants).

Flour is a base ingredient used in various recipes, while pancake mix is specifically formulated for making pancakes. Similarities: Pancake mix and flour are both flour-based, so they have some similarities. However, pancake mix also contains sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder [3].

Medium-hard wheat produced in Australia and Japan is mainly used to produce the all-purpose flour sold in Japan. Soft wheat produced in the US is mainly used to produce the cake flour sold in Japan.