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Crispy, Savory Carrot Pancakes, the Japanese Way

WDC NEWS 6 STAFF
Crispy, Savory Carrot Pancakes, the Japanese Way

Why It Works

  • Incorporating dashi into the pancake batter adds a briny note to the pancakes.
  • Cooking the okonomiyaki in rendered pork fat gives the dish a deep savory flavor.

My toddler loves pancakes. Vegetables? Not so much. Like many parents, I’ve had to come up with creative ways to incorporate vegetables into his diet. Sometimes it’s in the form of a green smoothie, other times it’s a pasta sauce, and frequently it’s some kind of pancake like okonomiyaki, a savory pancake that’s popular on the streets of Osaka, Japan.

Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen


The batter for okonomiyaki typically consists of shredded cabbage, scallions, eggs, water or dashi, and flour, though it may also contain seafood such as squid, octopus, fish cakes, or meat, such as sliced uncured pork belly and bacon. To get our son to eat his vegetables, my husband and I often riff on okonomiyaki—which means “how you want it” in Japanese—with whatever vegetables are in our fridge. Lately, we’ve been using young spring carrots, inspired by the okinomiyaki recipe below from my Des Moines, Iowa-based test kitchen colleague Emily Nienhaus. 

Like traditional okonomiyaki, Emily’s batter calls for dashi, a stock made with a dried kelp called kombu, as well as dried bonito flakes. Dashi is a fundamental ingredient in Japanese cooking, and brings a savory brininess to whatever it’s used in, including miso soup, ohitashi (blanched greens), and the delicate egg custard chawan mushi. To give the pancakes another layer of flavor, Emily crisps up small pieces of pork belly and incorporates them into the batter, then uses the rendered fat to cook the okonomiyaki. Carrots take the place of traditional cabbage, giving the pancakes a sweet, earthy flavor and plenty of crunch. It’s an easy appetizer—and one that’s delicious enough to convince both toddlers and adults to eat their vegetables.

Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen


The recipe was developed by Emily Nienhaus; the headnote was written by Genevieve Yam.

Crispy, Savory Carrot Pancakes, the Japanese Way



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For the Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) ketchup

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oyster sauce

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar (3/4 ounce; 22 g)

For the Okonomiyaki:

  • 6 ounces (170 g) skin-off pork belly, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 2 to 3 medium carrots (8 ounces; 226 g total), julienned with a mandoline or shredded

  • 6 scallions, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2–inch pieces

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) store-bought or homemade dashi (see notes)

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (2 1/4 ounces; 64 g)

  • Vegetable oil, as needed

To Serve:

  • Japanese-style mayonnaise, such as Kewpie

  • Furikake (optional)

  • Katsuobushi (bonito flakes), optional

  1. For the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk ketchup, oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar to combine; set aside.

    Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen


  2. For the Okinomiyaki: Add pork belly to a cold 10-inch nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Place over medium heat and cook until pork belly is crisp and browned on all sides and fat is rendered, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove pork belly; reserve drippings in pan.

    Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen


  3. In a large bowl, combine carrots, scallions, dashi, eggs, and salt. Stir in flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until combined. Add half of the cooked pork belly.

    Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen


  4. Heat skillet with drippings over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1/4 of the batter, and use an offset or flexible spatula to spread into an even layer. Cook, covered, shaking pan occasionally, until bottom is crisp and well browned, about 10 minutes; adjust heat as necessary to prevent burning.

    Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen


  5. Holding the pancake in place in the skillet with a spatula, the lid, or a plate, drain off any excess fat into a small glass bowl. Cover skillet with plate and carefully invert skillet to flip pancake onto plate. Return drippings to skillet and set on medium heat. (Use additional vegetable oil as needed.) Slide the pancake back into the skillet, cooked side up. Cook, uncovered, until browned, about 5 minutes.

    Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen


  6. Remove pancake from skillet. Drizzle sauce and mayonnaise on top of the pancake. Sprinkle with furikake and katsuobushi, if desired.

Special Equipment

10-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet, spatula, 10-inch lid 

Notes

If you don’t have homemade or store-bought dashi, you can substitute with 1/4 cup (60 ml) water or whisk 1/4 teaspoon instant dashi, such as Hondashi, into 1/4 cup (60 ml) water. (If using water, adjust seasoning with additional salt as needed.)

Make-Ahead and Storage

Leftover pancakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave or air fryer until warmed through.


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