How To Make Hiroshima-Style Okonomiyaki At Home
Okonomiyaki is a beloved Japanese dish often prepared on an iron plate. While it's a common homemade meal, Japan boasts numerous Okonomiyaki specialty diners and restaurants. We previously showed you how to make Osaka (Kansai)-style Okonomiyaki, so this time we'll be sharing the Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki.
Both Osaka and Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki, despite their regional names, are enjoyed throughout Japan. The key ingredients for both include all-purpose flour, cabbage, pork, and egg. Now, let's explore the differences between these two variants.
The primary distinction lies in how the ingredients are incorporated into the dish. Osaka-style Okonomiyaki involves mixing the ingredients into the batter before cooking, resulting in a texture similar to a pancake. In contrast, Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki keeps the ingredients separate. The batter is transformed into a thin, crepe-like round shape, and each component is cooked individually. Afterward, the ingredients are layered, akin to a mille-feuille pastry. This layering method steams the cabbage and bean sprouts to perfection, delivering a delightful, crisp texture.
An iconic addition to Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki is stir-fried noodles or yakisoba. This ingredient contributes to its substantial and satisfying appeal.
In this recipe, we'll guide you through creating Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki at home, complete with useful tools and products. Why not try making both Hiroshima-style and Kansai-style Okonomiyaki at home to explore the differences? It's sure to be a fun culinary adventure.
Share your homemade Okonomiyaki experiences in the comments below, and let us know which type you prefer!
Overview
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Total servings: 1
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 30g All Purpose Flour
- 500ml Water
- 20g Dried Bonito Flakes
- 100g Cabbage
- 20g Bean Sprouts
- 10g Chopped Green Onion
- 5g Tempura Bits (Tenkasu)
- 60g Sliced Pork Belly
- 1 Package (150g) Yakisoba Noodles & the included Seasoning
- 1 Egg
- Okonomiyaki Sauce, as needed
- Dried Aonori Seaweed, as needed
Expert's Tip
This culinary tool is a must-have for crafting Okonomiyaki. Having two of these comes in handy when you're flipping a substantial Okonomiyaki. It's also a crucial implement at Okonomiyaki specialty eateries, so using it to prepare Okonomiyaki at home can recreate that restaurant-like ambiance. Furthermore, it serves well for slicing Okonomiyaki too.
Instructions
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1) Advanced Preparation
Similar to our Osaka Okonomiyaki recipe, we will make dashi stock in advance.
As for bonito soup sock, you need 500ml of water and 20g of bonito flakes. This amount of bonito flakes is actually more than usual, so you'll achieve a thicker and richer bonito soup stock with this amount.
Pour the water into a pot and heat until boiling. Then add the bonito flakes and turn the heat off. Set aside for 2-3 minutes and drain like in the picture to get the bonito soup stock. Prepare 100ml bonito soup stock from here for making Okonomiyaki
2) Gathering the Ingredients
Gather the ingredients together.
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3) Slicing the Cabbage & Pork Belly
Slice the cabbage into thin strips to achieve a fluffy texture. Cut the sliced pork belly into approximately 5cm-sized pieces.
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4) Preparing the Okonomiyaki Batter
To prepare the Okonomiyaki batter, combine the bonito soup stock and all-purpose flour in a bowl, and thoroughly mix them together.
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5) Cooking Each Ingredient on an Iron Plate
For this cooking method, we'll be using a hot plate. However, if you don't have one, you can still prepare the dish using two frying pans.
Add some oil to the hotplate and heat it to approximately 200-250℃.
Pour two-thirds of the prepared batter onto the hotplate and shape it into a round form.
Arrange the cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, tempura bits, and sliced pork belly in the order shown in the pictures.
Pour the remaining one-third of the dough (the rest of the batter) from the top. This step helps bind the ingredients together.
Cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until the surface of the dough becomes crispy.
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6) Flipping the Okonomiyaki
After 5 minutes, it's time to flip the Okonomiyaki. This is the first challenging step in the recipe! If you have two turners or spatulas, use them to carefully turn it upside-down.
Once you've successfully flipped it, use one of the turners or spatulas to gently press it down, helping to meld the dough with the vegetables and pork.
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7) Cooking the Stir-Fried Noodles and Egg
Now, create some space on the hotplate by sliding the Okonomiyaki to the side. Place the yakisoba noodles on the cleared space and add a bit of extra water to loosen them. Stir-fry the noodles until they are well cooked. Season them with yakisoba seasoning. If you don't have yakisoba seasoning, you can use Okonomiyaki sauce or a bit of salt and pepper as an alternative.
Once the yakisoba is ready, carefully position the partially cooked Okonomiyaki on top of the yakisoba. Then, make space on the hotplate again.
Crack an egg and place it in the vacant area. Lightly break the egg with a turner to make it easier to stack. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on the egg. Pile the Okonomiyaki on top of the egg before it hardens, and then flip it over. This is the most challenging step in this recipe, so please take your time and don't rush it.
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8) Topping the Okonomiyaki
With the egg as the top layer and the crepe-like dough at the very bottom, pour the Okonomiyaki sauce generously over the egg, ensuring it covers the entire surface. Then, sprinkle dried aonori seaweed evenly to finish the dish.
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