00:00Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki is a delicious savoury pancake made with layers of noodles,
00:05pork and vegetables encased in a thin crepe-like batter and topped with delicious sweet sauce.
00:12It's usually made on a giant teppanyaki griddle at restaurants,
00:16but I'm going to show you how to make it at home in a frying pan.
00:21First, we're going to make a simplified yakisoba sauce, so grab a bowl and add half
00:25tablespoon of oyster sauce, half tablespoon of soy sauce, one teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce,
00:31half teaspoon of tomato ketchup, quarter teaspoon of sake, quarter teaspoon of sugar,
00:37a pinch of ground black pepper and half teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.
00:42Mix them together and then place it by the stove for later.
00:49Next, we're going to heat a pan on medium-high with about one and a half teaspoon of oil.
00:55Once it's hot, add one portion of pre-cooked ramen noodles and fry them until slightly crispy.
01:06I opted for a non-stick pan for this dish and I'm going to reuse it for every step to
01:12save on dishwashing.
01:14Usually, all the elements of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki are cooked at the same time on a large
01:20teppan grill, but I wanted to create a home-style version using just a frying pan.
01:25Once the noodles are slightly crisp, add the sauce and mix well until they're all covered.
01:32As you may know, okonomiyaki comes in two famous regional styles, Osaka and Hiroshima.
01:39Osaka-style uses a thicker batter with ingredients mixed in and topped with a savoury fruity sauce,
01:46mayonnaise and bonito flakes. Hiroshima-style is distinguished by thin crap-like base and layered
01:52ingredients. The locals always have their own opinions about which one is the real thing,
01:58but both versions are well-loved across Japan. From my neutral point of view, I see them as just
02:05different ways to make okonomiyaki and I never want to get involved in this discussion. Let's just say
02:11I love them both. Ok, these look good so I'm going to transfer them to a plate,
02:17wipe out the pan and preheat it on medium-low while we make the batter.
02:23Take a pourable container and add 30g of cake flour, 60ml of cold dashi stock, a pinch of sugar,
02:32and dash of mirin. Mix it until smooth, then pour about 3 quarters of it into the pan.
02:51Spread it out as big as you can. My heat was a bit high so it's set too quickly. Ideally,
02:58you want it a little bigger than this, but it's still going to be good.
03:02One tip is to briefly lift the pan off the heat before you add the batter.
03:07Before it completely sets, sprinkle about one tablespoon of bonito flakes over the wet batter.
03:14Next, add 50g of shredded cabbage, some crumbled fried squid snack called Ikatem,
03:2050g of bean sprouts, and then drizzle the last quarter of the batter to help bind those all together.
03:27If you can't get a squid snack, you could also use tempura flakes or potato chips instead.
03:34Next, we're going to lay about 100g of thinly sliced pork belly over the top.
03:39I don't usually recommend unsmogged bacon as a substitute for thinly sliced pork belly,
03:44but in this case, it works. Okonomiyaki means as you like, so really you can add anything you'd like to
03:51it.
03:52Place the lid over the top and cook it for 5 minutes. While we wait, we're going to make the
03:58Okonomiyaki sauce for the top. I'm using half tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce,
04:02half tablespoon of oyster sauce, one tablespoon of ketchup, half tablespoon of honey,
04:09and half teaspoon of soy sauce. You've probably noticed that the ingredients are quite similar to
04:14yakisoba sauce, but the ratios are a bit different. Okonomiyaki sauce is thicker and a bit sweeter.
04:21Set that aside for later.
04:23Ok, it's been about 5 minutes, so let's check the okonomiyaki.
04:26If you're confident, flip it using two spatulas. If you want a foolproof way to flip it,
04:32slide it onto a plate, then place the pan on top and flip it over like this.
04:44Look at this beautiful crispy crepe. Put the lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes.
04:55This time, while we wait, we're going to crack an egg into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, whisk
05:01until
05:01smooth, then set it by the stove for later. After 5 minutes, the pork should be completely cooked and
05:10a bit crispy. Slide everything onto your plate and then wipe the excess oil out of the pan with kitchen
05:16paper. Pour the egg into the pan and swirl it around until the bottom is coated. If necessary,
05:27you can add a little more oil to make sure the egg doesn't stick.
05:35Once the egg is about 80% cooked, add the noodles from earlier and then slide the rest of the
05:41okonomiyaki
05:42on top. Loosen the edges of the egg using a spatula, then carefully flip the whole thing onto a plate,
05:58so that the egg is on the top. Finally, that are the toppings. Generously brush the sauce over the top.
06:13And a handful of chopped green onions. And for an authentic touch, we often add a raw egg yolk.
06:22And that's it! Delicious Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki at home in a frying pan.
06:27And great news, I've launched a free mobile app that makes following along with my recipes even easier.
06:33It's the perfect kitchen companion after watching my videos. You can access step-by-step instructions
06:39right on your phone while you cook. The download link is in the description below.
06:44Thank you everyone who voted to see this recipe. If you want the written,
06:48printable version, you can find it on my blog. The link is on the screen.
06:53And if you're interested in an Osaka-style okonomiyaki video, check out the video on the screen.
06:59I hope to see you in the next one. Until then, take care!
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