HIROSHIMA Style

General Ingredients ↑

Ingredients: 1 Servings
Batter :                                                                                1.8oz (50g)
Sliced Pork :                                                                      1.4oz (40g)
Yakisoba (Cooked Noodles) :                                    1pack (4.6-5.3oz, 130-150g )
Bean Sprouts :                                                                  1oz (30g)
Cabbage (cut in 3mm/0.12 inches thin strips) : 5oz (150g)
Green Onion(5mm/0.2inches chopped) :            0.2oz (5g)
Dried Kelp Powder (Tangle Flakes) :                       0.04oz (1g)
Tempura Crisps :                                                             0.35oz (10g)
Dried Bonito Powder (Bonito Flakes) :                   0.07oz (2g)
Egg :                                                                                       1
Aonori, Seaweed :                                                           a pinch
Otafuku Okonomi Sauce :                                             2oz (60g)
Otafuku Yakisoba Sauce :                                             0.5oz (15g)

Batter Direction ↑

Ingredients: about 10 servings
Water: 370 cc/12.3floz
Mirin: 13cc/0.4floz
Egg: 1/2
Flour: 250g/8.8oz

Directions
1. Put the water (250cc) into a large bowl then add the mirin (Japanese cooking sake) and egg, Mix well.

2. Add the flour and mix until all the flour is dissolved.

3. Add in the remaining water and mix well. (The batter should be thin enough to drizzle out of a ladle.)

When you make the batter, keep the batter in the refrigerator for at least one hour to disappear clumps and to get a smoother spreading crépe.

Cutting Cabbage ↑

What is the best cabbage for Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki?
Winter cabbage* is the best for Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. There are spring cabbages and winter cabbages, but winter cabbage’s leaves are firm and have the characteristic of sweetness. To tell if a winter cabbage is good, pick one that has outside leaves with a deep green luster. Try picking it up and if it’s heavier than it looks to the eye you should choose that one.
*We call ordinary cabbage “winter cabbage.”

How to Cook ↑

1. Preheat a electric grill to 180°C/350°F. When you pour the batter on the electric grill, move the ladle in a circular motion about the center 5 times and then circle out to the outer part of the crépe making it thin and wide (approximately 20 cm/7.8 inches in diameter). On top of that sprinkle dried bonito powder and kelp powder.

2. Raise the electric grill’s temperature to 200-220°/400-425°F. Put the shredded cabbage, the tempura crisps, chopped green onion, and bean sprouts on top. Don’t put more than about this much cabbage on top! It’s also delicious if you use dried squid (ikaten) in place of regular tempura crisps!

3. On top of 2, put three strips of sliced pork side-by-side so that they covers as much as possible. Then ladle a small amount of batter on the top of these ingredients.

4. When the bottom is cooked to a light golden-brown, flip it over quickly but gently (pork-side down), using two spatulas. After that use the spatulas to round the edges and lightly press down from the top. Cook until the vegetables are cooked through.

5. At the same time, loosen the stir-fry noodles with a spatula if they are boiled noodles, do it with a touch of salad oil and if they are steamed noodles loosen them with a little water. When they are cooked, lower the electric grill temperature to 180°C/350°F, and then flavor with Otafuku Yakisoba Sauce.

6. Spread the noodles into a circular shape as in step 4. Place the crépe and filling (you made in step 4) on top of the stir-fry noodles.

7. Drop an egg on the grill, next to the crépe, break the yolk and spread it around into a circular shape.

8. Put the crépe and filling and noodles (made in step 6) on the top of the spread egg and flip it over again (the top side should be egg). Generously spread Otafuku Okonomi Sauce on top.
When the okonomiyaki is on top of the egg, without being in a hurry, count to ten and then flip it.

9. Sprinkle aonori (seaweed) on top and it’s done!

The knack of flipping ↑

Use large spatulas and move your hands as if you are rowing. The point is not to hesitate and go for it, but still take it easy and then the flip will be successful. After that, don’t forget, practice makes perfect!