Okonomiyaki literally means "As you like it." The basic recipe is a pancake mixture made with rice or wheat flour. Extra flavor can be given by adding a stock to the mixture. In addition, many Okonomiyaki places have their own family recipes that have been handed down for generations.
The following is a restaurant type mixture for about 10 people.
Basic Ingredients
10 chicken eggs
2 quail eggs
5 cups of wheat or 6 cups of rice flour
3.5 cups of Awase Miso
Additional ingredients
Thin pork slices
Thin beef slices
Shrimp, shelled, deveined and filleted.
Red pickled ginger
Wasabi
Sesame oil
Daikon, grated finely
Thinly sliced Shitaki Mushrooms
or any other flavourings as long as they are thinly sliced.
Break the eggs in a bowl and mix well. Add Awase Miso to the eggs and mix well. Do this slowly and beat so that the mixture is without lumps.
Heat a griddle or hot plate to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit and oil. Stir mixture just before you pour it out on the hot plate. Allow to start cooking, and add any ingredients that you would like to the mixture that is on the griddle.
Wait until the bottom is browned and flip over to cook the top.
Flip back over and onto a plate.
Garnish with bonito, nori, or some wasabi.
Serve.
There are a variety of sauces that can be had with Okonomiyaki. My favourite is a Sweet Sake sauce.
Ingredients:
2/3 cups Sake
1/3 cup Mirin
1/3 cup Shoyu
1/3 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of Su
2 whole takano tjume crushed
In a saucepan heat up the Sake, Mirin, Shoyu, and Su. When it is nearly boiling add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Reduce heat and add the ginger and takano tjume. Let simmer for an hour or until the sauce is two thirds of its original volume. Strain and cool. Serve in a Shoyu dish.
Ichinohei Hitomi
Head of Research and Development
Dynelex Animation