Okonomiyaki Recipe Blog

Normally I eat completely gluten-free.  I made (many) exceptions in Japan to be able to sample local delicacies — okonomiyaki being a prominent one of course — but it took its toll on my health. When I came home I immediately set to work inventing okonomiyaki batter that performed and tasted as great as traditional flour-based batter but without any gluten.

Here is my first and best gluten-free okonomiyaki recipe based on rice and flax seeds.  The fillings can be more or less whatever you like, but for this first recipe I’ll stick to the classic cabbage, egg, and pickled ginger.

You will need some kind of rice, any type will do except for glutinous rice — that’s just too sticky.  I chose a mixture of black rice and Tibetan red rice (almost by accident, but that’s another story).  Other good choices would be white or brown japonica (sushi) rice, jasmine basmati, even wehani wild rice would work.

The key to this batter is having a good blender.  I use a Vitamix for my batters and smoothies and everything.   No other blender matches it for producing that smooth, flawless texture.  But if you don’t have access to a Vitamix blender, you should be okay with any high-speed Osterizer or what-have-you.

TIME:

• 12 hours “lead time” (for soaking the rice)
• 30 to 45 minutes prep time (chopping and cooking)

EQUIPMENT:

• 1-quart jar or plastic container with air-tight lid
• Vitamix or other high speed blender
• non-stick frying pan (or your favorite flat direct-heat cooking surface)
• large spatula
• smaller spatula or small wooden utensil

INGREDIENTS (batter):

• 1 cup dry uncooked rice
• 3 Tbsp whole flax seeds (any variety) OR chia seeds
• 1 to 4 Tbsp raw sesame seeds (possibly not needed — see instructions)
• 2 Tbsp Vegan Worchestershire sauce (or Vietnamese fish sauce)
• pinch salt or a dash of Bragg’s liquid aminos

FILLING (guidelines):

• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1-2 Tbsp pickled ginger
• 1 egg, or just the egg white (optional)
• 1-3 Tbsp of other minced veggies, like yellow onion, shredded carrot, etc

1. INSTRUCTIONS:
2. At least 12 hours ahead of time, fill your quart jar with dry rice and fresh cold water.  Leave this to sit out overnight (unless it is very hot where you are, in which case it’s better to put it in the fridge).
3. About 90 minutes before you want to eat, drain the rice and put the soaked rice in the blender.  Add water until the batter becomes a crepe-batter consistency — a little bit thinner than pancake batter.  Pour this into a mixing bowl.  You’re done with the blender at this point.
4. Stir in the whole flax seeds (do not machine-blend!).  Let this sit for about 20 minutes.  The flax seeds will take up the water from the batter and begin their sprouting process, which involves putting out a sticky substance.  This is the stuff that holds the pancake together without any need for gluten or eggs.  Chia seeds do the same thing.
5. Inspect the batter — is it nice and thick like pancake batter?  Or does it seem a little too watery?  If it seems watery, grind up the sesame seeds and add as much as you need to bring the batter to the proper thickness.
6. Add the salt and the Worchestershire sauce and mix well.
7. Chop all your veggies.  Shred the cabbage if you have a good shredder for this, like a mandoline; otherwise just do your best with a knife to keep the cabbage bits very thin and light.  Carrots should be grated.  Onions should be minced.  If your pickled ginger is in large chunks, shred or mince it as well.  Toss the veggies together into a bowl so that they are mixed evenly.
8. Heat your skillet or flat grill at a medium-low temperature with a drop of oil.  I like sesame oil for this okonomiyaki recipe, especially the way it matches with black rice, but you can also get great results with peanut oil, grapeseed oil, or coconut oil.  Keep the oil to a bare minimum — too much oil causes the pancake to break apart and/or deep fry in certain places, making the whole okonomiyaki very uneven.
9. Pour 1/3 cup of the batter into the center of your skillet, and then spread the batter around to about 1/4-inch thickness.
10. Grab a handful of veggie mixture and plop it down into the center of the batter.  Just pile it on there.  It’s going to look ridiculous at first, but it will cook down.
11. Wait about 5-8 minutes as the veggies start cooking down.  Using your big spatula, check the underside of the batter to make sure it’s not burning.  If it seems to be getting burnt, your cooktop is too hot.  If it’s squishing and deforming when you try to lift a side of it, you just need to give it more time to cook.  Keep in mind this is rice, not wheat — it needs to be cooked slowly and steadily.
12. If you are using an egg: Make a “well” in the center of the veggie pile.  Crack the egg into this well.  Feel free to just use the white and set the yolk aside (that’s what I do).  Use chopsticks or a fork to spread the egg over all of the vegetable matter.  Try to get the egg running down through the veggies and onto the pancake.
13. When the egg whites are visibly firming up (or about 4-5 minutes later), check the underside of the pancake, again, as in #11 above.  When it’s easy to slide the spatula under it, and the whole thing starts getting mobile, then you’re ready for the next step of creating the final layer of the okonomiyaki.
14. Use about 1/3 cup of batter to dribble over top of the veggies.  It’s okay to be sloppy — in fact, go a little bit “over the edges” and let this new layer form a seal with the bottom layer.
15. Time to FLIP IT!  This is where you might need a second spatula or other utensil.  There’s no good way to explain how to do this.  Just do your best to turn the okonomiyaki over while keeping all of its layers in the same order you arranged them.
16. You’re in the home stretch!  Let the pancake cook on the other side for at least 8 minutes, probably 10-12 would be best.  In that time, the veggies will cook down, reducing in volume visibly, and the pancake layers should meld together nicely.
17. As soon as you are able to cleanly flip it one more time, do so.  Give it about 30 seconds more cooking time, and then it’s ready!
18. Break out the mayo and okonomi sauce, and aonori if you got it.  Yom!

Special ingredients — links to where you can order them:

Vegan Worchestershire sauce

Phillipine Fish Sauce (this is the brand I find in Chinese groceries for like $2)

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