I’m excited to share my Vegan Okonomiyaki Recipe that reveals how yamaimo, rice flour, cabbage and tenkasu come together with okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise to recreate this popular Japanese street food at home.
I love how this Vegan Okonomiyaki Recipe flips expectations. The slippery grated yamaimo or nagaimo gives the batter an almost elastic bounce, while finely shredded cabbage adds a fresh crunch you dont often get in pancakes.
It’s a Japanese Savory Pancake that looks humble, but one bite and you’ll be thinking street food. I wont lie, the first time I made it I messed up the flip and liked it even more.
There’s a kind of messy, confident charm here that makes cooking feel less serious and more fun. Try it and tell me what you think.
Ingredients
- Grated mountain yam, sticky texture, mild sweet flavor, adds starch and some protein
- Rice flour is light gluten free flour, gives tender crumb, mostly carbs with little protein
- Crunchy cabbage, high fiber and vitamin C, soaks up flavors and keeps pancakes moist
- Tenkasu are crunchy tempura bits, add fat and texture, making each bite more interesting
- Beni shoga is pickled red ginger, bright tartness that cuts richness and adds acidity
- Vegan mayonnaise gives creamy richness and umami, mostly fats so use sparingly sometimes
- Aonori gives a seaweed aroma and minerals, sesame seeds add nuttiness and tiny protein
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 cup (about 200 g) grated yamaimo or nagaimo, peeled and grated
- 1 cup (140 g) rice flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water or light vegan dashi
- 2 cups (about 300 g) finely shredded cabbage
- 2 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup (about 40 g) tenkasu (tempura scraps)
- 2 tbsp chopped pickled red ginger (beni shoga)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegan mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp aonori (dried green seaweed) for sprinkling
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
How to Make this
1. Peel and grate 1 cup (about 200 g) yamaimo or nagaimo into a bowl, it gets sticky so use a towel or gloves if you hate the feel, then stir in 1 cup (140 g) rice flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/2 cup (120 ml) water or light vegan dashi until you have a thick but pourable batter.
2. Add 2 cups (about 300 g) finely shredded cabbage, 2 scallions thinly sliced, 1/3 cup (about 40 g) tenkasu, 2 tbsp chopped pickled red ginger and 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari to the batter and fold gently so everything is evenly coated, let it rest 5 minutes so the yamaimo binds and the cabbage softens a bit.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and add about 1 tbsp vegetable oil, wipe to coat the surface, keep the rest of the oil for later.
4. Scoop roughly 3/4 to 1 cup of batter per pancake into the hot pan and spread into a 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick round with the back of a spatula, don’t press too hard, keeps it fluffy.
5. Cook on medium for 4 to 5 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and firm enough to flip, then add a little more oil around the edges if needed and flip carefully with a spatula and second hand help if you can.
6. After flipping, lower heat to medium low, cover the pan and cook another 4 to 6 minutes so the center cooks through without burning the outside, press gently once after flipping to help it hold shape.
7. While they cook, mix the sauce: 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegan mayonnaise, 3 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp sugar, stir until smooth, taste and adjust if you want it sweeter or tangier.
8. When pancakes are nicely browned and cooked through, transfer to plates, brush or drizzle the okonomiyaki sauce mixture over each pancake and then add a squiggle more of plain vegan mayonnaise if you like that classic look.
9. Sprinkle 1 tsp aonori (dried green seaweed) and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds optional on top, serve hot. If batter seems too thick add a splash more water, if too thin add a little more rice flour.
Equipment Needed
1. Large mixing bowl (big enough to handle sticky grated yamaimo and batter)
2. Box grater or fine grater (for the yamaimo)
3. Measuring cups and spoons (for rice flour, water, seasonings etc)
4. Cutting board and a sharp knife (for cabbage and scallions)
5. Large nonstick skillet or flat griddle (10–12 inch works best)
6. Wide spatula plus a second spatula or turner for safer flipping, if you can grab one
7. Small bowl and a whisk or fork (to mix the sauce)
8. Kitchen towel or disposable gloves (yamaimo gets sticky), plus a paper towel or silicone brush for oil
FAQ
Vegan Okonomiyaki Recipe (Japanese Savoury Pancakes) Substitutions and Variations
- Grated yamaimo/nagaimo: if you can’t find it use 1 cup grated raw potato plus 1 tbsp tapioca or cornstarch to mimic the sticky bind, or 1 cup silken tofu blended smooth + 1 tbsp potato starch for a softer, less slimy result. It won’t be identical but it’ll hold together.
- Rice flour (1 cup): swap with 1 cup all-purpose flour if gluten is ok, or use 1 cup gluten-free 1:1 baking blend; for a lighter/crisper pancake try 1/2 cup potato starch + 1/2 cup tapioca starch. You may need to tweak the water a little.
- Tenkasu (tempura scraps): use crunchy panko crumbs, crushed cornflakes or finely chopped fried onions for that crunchy pop. Add them just before frying or sprinkle on top so they stay crisp.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce: no bottle? mix 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari + 1 tsp ketchup + 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar + a pinch of sugar and a tiny dash of mushroom or vegan bouillon if you have it. Works pretty close in a pinch.
Pro Tips
1) Grate the yamaimo into a chilled bowl and keep your fingers away, it’s way slimy; if the batter feels too watery after resting, squeeze a little moisture out of the grated yam with a towel, otherwise you’ll end up with flat, soggy pancakes.
2) Do a small test pancake first so you can tweak heat and thickness, every stove is different; if the edges brown too fast lower the heat and cover briefly to finish cooking the center without burning the outside.
3) Use lots of oil around the edges when flipping and two spatulas if you can, okonomiyaki likes a gentle flip not a thump, press just once after flipping not repeatedly or it will get dense.
4) Warm the sauce a bit or thin it with a teaspoon of water if it’s too stiff, and add the aonori and sesame seeds right at the end so they taste fresh, otherwise they lose their aroma.
Vegan Okonomiyaki Recipe (Japanese Savoury Pancakes)
I’m excited to share my Vegan Okonomiyaki Recipe that reveals how yamaimo, rice flour, cabbage and tenkasu come together with okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise to recreate this popular Japanese street food at home.
4
servings
412
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large mixing bowl (big enough to handle sticky grated yamaimo and batter)
2. Box grater or fine grater (for the yamaimo)
3. Measuring cups and spoons (for rice flour, water, seasonings etc)
4. Cutting board and a sharp knife (for cabbage and scallions)
5. Large nonstick skillet or flat griddle (10–12 inch works best)
6. Wide spatula plus a second spatula or turner for safer flipping, if you can grab one
7. Small bowl and a whisk or fork (to mix the sauce)
8. Kitchen towel or disposable gloves (yamaimo gets sticky), plus a paper towel or silicone brush for oil
Ingredients
1 cup (about 200 g) grated yamaimo or nagaimo, peeled and grated
1 cup (140 g) rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup (120 ml) water or light vegan dashi
2 cups (about 300 g) finely shredded cabbage
2 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
1/3 cup (about 40 g) tenkasu (tempura scraps)
2 tbsp chopped pickled red ginger (beni shoga)
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
1/3 cup (80 ml) vegan mayonnaise
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp aonori (dried green seaweed) for sprinkling
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Directions
- Peel and grate 1 cup (about 200 g) yamaimo or nagaimo into a bowl, it gets sticky so use a towel or gloves if you hate the feel, then stir in 1 cup (140 g) rice flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/2 cup (120 ml) water or light vegan dashi until you have a thick but pourable batter.
- Add 2 cups (about 300 g) finely shredded cabbage, 2 scallions thinly sliced, 1/3 cup (about 40 g) tenkasu, 2 tbsp chopped pickled red ginger and 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari to the batter and fold gently so everything is evenly coated, let it rest 5 minutes so the yamaimo binds and the cabbage softens a bit.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and add about 1 tbsp vegetable oil, wipe to coat the surface, keep the rest of the oil for later.
- Scoop roughly 3/4 to 1 cup of batter per pancake into the hot pan and spread into a 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick round with the back of a spatula, don’t press too hard, keeps it fluffy.
- Cook on medium for 4 to 5 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and firm enough to flip, then add a little more oil around the edges if needed and flip carefully with a spatula and second hand help if you can.
- After flipping, lower heat to medium low, cover the pan and cook another 4 to 6 minutes so the center cooks through without burning the outside, press gently once after flipping to help it hold shape.
- While they cook, mix the sauce: 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegan mayonnaise, 3 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp sugar, stir until smooth, taste and adjust if you want it sweeter or tangier.
- When pancakes are nicely browned and cooked through, transfer to plates, brush or drizzle the okonomiyaki sauce mixture over each pancake and then add a squiggle more of plain vegan mayonnaise if you like that classic look.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp aonori (dried green seaweed) and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds optional on top, serve hot. If batter seems too thick add a splash more water, if too thin add a little more rice flour.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 250g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 412kcal
- Fat: 23.6g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 3.8g
- Monounsaturated: 6.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 825mg
- Potassium: 285mg
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 3.5g
- Sugar: 6g
- Protein: 4.5g
- Vitamin A: 500IU
- Vitamin C: 30mg
- Calcium: 62mg
- Iron: 1.05mg
