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Ingredients

Pancakes

  • 1/2 small head cabbage, very thinly sliced (1 pound or 5 to 6 cups shreds) which will be easiest on a mandoline if you have one
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
  • 5 kale leaves, ribs removed, leaves cut into thin ribbons
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • Canola, safflower or peanut oil for frying

Tangy Sauce

  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (note: this is not vegetarian)
  • 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon rice cooking wine or sake
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey (use 2 if you like a sweeter sauce)
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

Make the pancakes

  1. Toss cabbage, carrot, kale, scallions and salt together in a large bowl. Toss mixture with flour so it coats all of the vegetables. Stir in the eggs. Heat a large heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Coat the bottom with oil and heat that too.

  2. To make a large pancake, add 1/4 of the vegetable mixture to the skillet, pressing it out into a 1/2- to 3/4-inch pancake. Gently press the pancake down flat. Cook until the edges beging to brown, about 3 minutes. 30 seconds to 1 minute later, flip the pancake with a large spatula. (If this is terrifying, you can first slide the pancake onto a plate, and, using potholders, reverse it back into the hot skillet.) Cook on the other side until the edges brown, and then again up to a minute more (you can peek to make sure the color is right underneath).

  3. To make small pancakes, you can use tongs but I seriously find using my fingers and grabbing little piles, letting a little batter drip back into the bowl, and depositing them in piles on the skillet easier, to form 3 to 4 pancakes. Press down gently with a spatula to they flatten slightly, but no need to spread them much. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the edges brown. Flip the pancakes and cook them again until brown underneath.

  4. Regardless of pancake size, you can keep them warm on a tray in the oven at 200 to 250 degrees until needed.

If desired, make okonomiyaki sauce

  1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and thick.

Recipe Notes

Serve pancakes with sauce and any of the other fixings listed above, from Japanese mayo to scallions and toasted sesame seeds.