Dreaming of (gluten free) Okonomiyaki

Training: Run 5km

This week is all about getting back into routine. And what better way to do that than with an afternoon run with Mr BBB. It was hot, it was sweaty, and it was just what I needed to kick-start what is actually looking like a fairly busy week!

Dinner

I know I have eluded to my weekend baking adventures, but I just have to share tonight's dinner with you first. A recap of my baking adventures will just have to wait.

Because some dinners are just so tasty that they need to be shared with the world. Or my little bloggy world at least.

See, once upon a time there was 15 year old gal who travelled to Japan and fell in love with Okonomiyaki. Eaten with friends, and cooked on a hot plate right in the middle of the table.

But "what is Okonomiyaki?"  I hear you ask...

Why it is a wonderfully addictive Japanese savoury pancake. Vegetables and batter, cooked like a pancake, topped with a sticky sweet brown sauce and mayonnaise.

13 years later, the girl returned to Japan and introduced her husband to the wonderful dish that is Okonomiyaki. But, sadly, the wheat content meant she could not herself indulge.

Well that was….until today.

That’s right. The BBB kitchen was turned into an Okonomiyaki restaurant this evening.

Vegetables were grated…

And mixed with GF flour, water and egg to make a batter…

Cooked…

Pancake style.

Topped with Japanese mayonnaise…

 

A homemade okonomiyaki sauce and green onions.

 

Stacked and dressed.

 

 

Oh my – this dinner brought back memories.

Wonderful food and travel memories of time spent abroad.

 

All that was missing was a glass of sake!

 

Next time perhaps ;)

Gluten Free Okonomiyaki (makes 6 pancakes)

Okonomiyaki, when translated into English, means ‘as you like it’ and ‘fried’. There are an abundance of Okonomiyaki restaurants in Japan,  where customers are usually given the raw ingredients and cook the savoury pancakes themselves using a hot plate in the middle of the table. While we don't have a hot plate in the middle of our dining table, we were able to recreate okonomiyaki at home using a frypan instead.

• 1.5 – 2 cups GF flour
• 1.5 cups water
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cabbage, shredded
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 zucchini, grated
• Green onion (sliced), mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce to serve

1. Combine the flour, water, egg, cabbage carrots and zucchini in a large bowl.
2. Heat a little oil in a frypan. Pour in a large ladleful of the mixture and cook like a pancake until browned on both sides (about 5 minutes each side).
3. Continue with remaining batter (keeping the cooked pancakes warm in the oven while you cook the others).
4. Stack a serving of the pancakes onto a plate. Drizzle with mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce, and sprinkle with sliced green onions.

To make a simple okonomiyaki sauce: Combine 2tbs tomato sauce, 2tbs GF Worcestershire sauce, 1tbs GF tamari oyster sauce, 1tsp brown sugar and 1/2 tsp ground ginger in a small bowl.

What about you? Have you ever tried okonomiyaki?

Happy Baking :)