Okonomiyaki: a recipe from Japan — Gluten Free Weekend (2024)

FAQs

What is the best flour for okonomiyaki? ›

The best think is to use regular flour, but then also add some yam starch or potato starch or rice flour to make the batter more sticky. See the Alternative Batter Recipes. Okonomi Sauce Substitutes: If you don't have Okonomi sauce on hand you can make your own.

Hiroshima area

In the city of Hiroshima, there are over 2000 okonomiyaki restaurants, and the prefecture has more of those restaurants per capita than any other place in Japan.

Does not use ingredients containing gluten. Post-production inspections ensure no gluten is detected.

If you cannot find okonomiyaki flour, use 100g of plain flour mixed with 2g of dashi stock powder and 1 tsp of baking powder.

Unlike in Osaka, the ingredients are not all mixed together – cooking a Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki involves layering of ingredients; first the batter, then the noodles, and then the toppings, which are piled high at the beginning and then flipped frequently while cooking.

There are two significantly different types of Okonomiyaki. First, the Kansai or Osaka style, in which the ingredients are all mixed into a batter and then grilled. Second, the Hiroshima style, in which a small crepe-like pancake is grilled and then other ingredients are layered on top.

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.

Cheese and mentaiko (seasoned cod roe) or cheese and mochi (rice cakes) are common pairings, while kimchi, corn, and mushroom are popular vegetable choices.

Cheap street food like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, ramen, soba and udon costs between 500 and 1,000 JPY (4.60 to 9.25 USD).

Overall, Japanese food is not typically gluten-free. Soy sauce contains wheat, a common allergen for those with gluten allergies and sensitivities. Since soy sauce is a common ingredient in many dishes, from sushi rice to soups and noodle dishes, it's best to avoid sauce-laden dishes.

Is Japanese flour gluten-free? ›

Bread Flour: 強力粉 (kyou riki ko)

Japanese bread flour has a high gluten content and a minimum 12% protein content.

Gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, is present in many popular Japanese snacks such as Pocky, Umaibo, dorayaki, and manju. However, those on a gluten-free diet still have plenty of sweet and savory Japanese snacks to choose from.

Okonomiyaki Recipe Tips

If your cabbage is too chunky, they won't hold together well, and they'll have a denser, less delicate texture. I always use my mandoline when I make this recipe. If you don't have one, finely shred the cabbage in a food processor or with a sharp knife. Don't pack it down too much.

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 (お好み焼き) is a Japanese savoury pancake made with flour, eggs, finely-chopped cabbage and customizable add-ins such as shrimp, scallops, bacon, chicken, bell peppers, and mushrooms.

Okonomiyaki Flour Mix uses Japanese domestically produced wheat. Its ground specifically for pancake is pre-mixed with powdered “Dashi”(broth) such as Bonito flake, Kelp, and yam. It makes your Okonomi-Yaki very fluffy. Therefore it's delicate, rich, and delicious as if at an authentic Okonomiyaki restaurant in Japan.

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.

Bread Flour

It's easy to find in any grocery store (again, King Arthur Flour is a favorite brand), is affordable, and adds some extra oomph and crispiness to thin crust and New York-style pizzas. It will make your crust crispy on the outside and chewy and textured on the inside.

Rice flour and cornstarch work particularly well because they fry up crispier than wheat flour. They also absorb less moisture and fat during the frying process, making the products less greasy. This is why rice flour is often used when making tempura because it produces a very thin and crispy, dry crust.