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Japanese Vegetable Pancakes

depending on the size of each pancake you make, the calories will vary; and so will the portions!
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 10
Calories: 150kcal

Ingredients

Pancakes

  • .5 small cabbage head thinly sliced
  • 4 medium carrots peeled and julienned
  • 5 lacinato kale leaves ribs removed, leaves cut into thin ribbons
  • 4 scallions thinly sliced on an angle
  • 1 tsp salt
  • .5 cup plain white flour
  • 6 large eggs beaten

vegetable oil for frying

    Tangy sauce

    • .25 cup ketchup
    • 1.5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce this is not vegetarian
    • .25 tsp dijon mustard
    • 1 tbsp cooking rice wine or sake
    • 1 tsp soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp honey
    • .125 tsp ground ginger

    Instructions

    • Make the pancakes: 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.
    • 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 beginning 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).
    • 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.
    • 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: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and thick.
    • Serve pancakes with sauce and any of the other fixings listed above, from Japanese mayo to scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
    • Do ahead: Extra pancakes will keep in the fridge for a couple days, or can be spread on a tray in the freezer until frozen, then combined in a freezer bag to be stored until needed. Reheat on a baking sheet in a hot oven until crisp again.

    Notes

    All text taken from www.smittenkitchen.com