Side Asian

Cabbage and kimchi okonomiyaki

Name: Hetty Lui McKinnon's cabbage and kimchi okonomiyaki recipe
Yield: 4
Cuisine: /asian
Ingredients: 150 g rice flour or plain flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; Sea salt and white pepper; 1/2 teaspoon white sugar; 3 eggs, lightly beaten; 180 ml (3/4 cup) Vegan Dashi or vegetable stock; 20.00 ml white (shiro) miso; 200 g (1 cup) regular or vegan kimchi, drained and chopped; 1/2 small green or savoy cabbage (about 400 g), finely chopped; 2 green onions (shallots), finely sliced, plus extra to serve; Neutral oil; Kewpie mayonnaise or regular good-quality mayonnaise, to serve; Handful of toasted white sesame seeds, to serve; 60.00 ml tomato ketchup; 20.00 ml soy sauce or tamari; 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil; 20.00 ml gluten-free gochujang

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by Hetty Lui McKinnon

Hetty Lui McKinnon, Chef

Oct 19, 2022

“Okonomiyaki is a beloved savoury pancake from Japan, where the dish differs from region to region - Hiroshima-style is a layered pancake, while in Osaka it is made by mixing all the ingredients together before being fried. This recipe is akin to an Osaka-style okonomiyaki, which is traditionally made primarily with cabbage, flour and eggs. The dish is ultimately adaptable - in Japanese, ‘okonomi’ means ‘how you want it’ or ‘what you like’ and ‘yaki’ means ‘grill’. Cabbage is a common filling, but while kimchi is not, it imparts a salty tang and welcome spice. I’ve used rice flour in this version, which makes it a bit lighter, but regular flour works too. Kewpie, the Japanese brand of mayonnaise, is essential for topping okonomiyaki, but good-quality whole egg mayonnaise also works fine.” Recipes from Tenderheart by Hetty Lui McKinnon, published by Plum, RRP $59.99, photography by Hetty Lui McKinnon.

150 g rice flour or plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Sea salt and white pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
180 ml (3/4 cup) Vegan Dashi or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon white (shiro) miso
200 g (1 cup) regular or vegan kimchi, drained and chopped
1/2 small green or savoy cabbage (about 400 g), finely chopped
2 green onions (shallots), finely sliced, plus extra to serve
Neutral oil
Kewpie mayonnaise or regular good-quality mayonnaise, to serve
Handful of toasted white sesame seeds, to serve

Gochujang ketchup

3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon gluten-free gochujang

Method

1.

To make the gochujang ketchup, whisk together all the ingredients with 2 tablespoons of water in a bowl. Set aside.
2.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and the sugar to combine. Add the egg, dashi or vegetable stock and miso, and stir to form a batter. Add the kimchi, cabbage and green onion and fold everything together until well combined.
3.

Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil and spoon one-quarter of the batter into the pan, using a spatula to shape the pancake into a neat circle. Reduce the heat to medium–low, then cover and cook for 4–5 minutes, until the underside is golden, lowering the heat as necessary if the okonomiyaki threatens to burn. Lift the lid and flip the pancake with a wide spatula. If parts of the pancake fall off during the flip, simply tuck them back in to reassemble the circle. If the pan is dry, add a little more oil and swirl it under the pancake. Cover and cook for another 4–5 minutes, until both sides are golden. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
4.

Place a pancake on a serving plate and season with sea salt and white pepper. Drizzle over some of the gochujang ketchup, squeeze or spoon over some mayonnaise sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scatter with green onion.