Easy Japanese Pizza - The Two Traditional Recipes

Weird… is certainly one of the first words that pops into your mind when you look at Japanese pizza, isn't it? Halfway between a pancake and an omelet recipe, okonomiyaki is an important part of Japanese cuisine. What's more, the name means "however you like" which automatically gives you the freedom to customize the dish however you want. However, the traditional preparation includes a Tepan (a Japanese hot plate), suitable flour and Asian spices.

Okonomiyaki or the funny Japanese pizza that can be folded according to your wishes

As you understood, the preparation of the Japanese pancake can vary according to the desires and the regions. However, the basic ingredients remain the same: flour, eggs, bonito flakes, white cabbage, dashi, mayonnaise and traditional special sauce. And just like our quiche recipe, this okonomiyaki is based on the “tote” concept and is meant to be a great idea for a quick and economical daily meal. You just need to adapt it to whatever you have in your fridge. It doesn't even have to be paired with meat or fish. With a few seasonal vegetables, you get a Japanese style vegetarian pizza.

The essential sauce, on the other hand, is not at all complicated to prepare at home. It usually only requires 4 ingredients (soy sauce, broth, starches and Worcerstershire sauce) which you can usually find anywhere. The dried bonito flakes can, moreover, be replaced by sesame seeds for vegetarians and by dried ham shavings for those who like meat. The mayo isn't mandatory, if you don't like it, but it does create that meaningful and so tasty rendering of Japanese pizza.

The most popular areas with their okonomiyaki are Osaka and Hiroshima. In the first region, the locals mix all the ingredients together before putting them on the Tepan, while in Hiroshima, people prefer to layer them and use noodles and fried eggs.

Osaka okonomiyaki - the original recipe

As mentioned, Hiroshima's Japanese pizza is meant to be a bit more technical in terms of cooking. That is why, Deavita.fr begins by giving you the one from Osaka, the preparation of which is only child's play.

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 100g of flour
• 100 ml of broth
• 1 egg
• 100 white cabbage
• 1 onion
• 1 courgette
• 20 ml Worcerstershire sauce
• 20 ml soy sauce
• 30 ml of lukewarm water
• 1 C. cornstarch diluted in a little water
• a little bit of sugar
• a little mayo
• sesame seeds / dried bonito flakes

Preparation:

First, you have to start with the preparation of the sauce. To do this, in a small saucepan, put the soy sauce, sugar and Worchestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch and whisk everything well to obtain a fairly liquid mixture. Pour into a small bowl and set aside. Then cut the zucchini into strips and slice the cabbage and onion. Pour the flour, broth and egg into a small bowl. Mix everything well and take 1 tbsp. tablespoon of the resulting dough. Then add the cabbage and onion.

Heat the pan over high heat and pour the dough into it, line it with strips of zucchini and add the small portion removed. Cook for 3-4 minutes and flip for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and place the Japanese omelette on a pretty plate. Top with the sauce and garnish with mayo and sesame seeds. Here is !

Japanese pizza: Hiroshima's recipe

Unlike Osaka's recipe, Hiroshima's okonomiyaki layers the ingredients and covers them with a layer of noodles, fried egg, sauces and garnish. To enjoy as an aperitif or as a main course, this next version of Japanese pizza will be all the rage on your table.

Ingredients:

• 100g of flour
• 120 ml lukewarm water
• 3 eggs
• 150 g white cabbage
• 60 g of bean sprouts
• 6 slices of bacon
• pre-cooked noodles
• okonomiyaki sauce
• mayonnaise
• 2 sprigs of chives
• 1 pinch of powdered green seaweed
• dried bonito flakes
• 1 C. 1 teaspoon pickled ginger

Preparation:

After having concocted the sauce following the instructions in the previous recipe, chop the cabbage as finely as possible. In a bowl, mix the flour with the water and with 1 egg. Mix until you get a smooth, lump-free preparation. Oil your pan and heat it over medium heat. Then pour some of the dough into it and add half the cabbage, half the bean sprouts on the dough and the bacon slices. To keep the whole thing together, put a good c. of the dough. Leave to cook for about 10 minutes and turn over with a spatula.

In a separate pan, cook the noodles with a little oil and the sauce that goes with the package. Once your noodles are ready, line them with the Japanese omelet. Crack an egg into a bowl and transfer it to the first pan. Add the okonomiyaki with the noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Return to a plate, pour sauce and mayo on top. Sprinkle with chives, aonari seaweed, dried bonito flakes and pickled ginger.