Ebi (Shrimp) Okonomiyaki Recipe

Okonomiyaki Restaurants in Osaka always have many variations of Okonomiyaki to choose from.  One popular variation is Ebi Okonomiyaki (Ebi means prawns/shrimp).  As our family loves both prawns and okonomiyaki, this is also a favorite on our dinner menu.

If you have a teppanyaki plate, cook this at the table, serving on the teppanyaki plate to keep the okonomiyaki hot.  Each person then places a portion on their small plate (torizara) to eat.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• about 1/2 a large cabbage (1/3 of a huge drumhead or 1 whole sugarloaf)
• 2 cups flour (I use self-raising, my mother says plain flour)
• 2 1/3 cups water
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp dashi-no-moto (fish stock powder, can be replaced by chicken stock powder)
• Okonomi Sauce or Tonkatsu Sauce

• About 200g uncooked prawns, shelled, sprinkled with a little salt
• 1-2 negi (shallots/scallions/spring onions) sliced thinly, 
• Japanese Mayonnaise

• 1 Tbsp beni-shouga (red pickled ginger) chopped finely
• +/-Katsuo-bushi (for sprinkling on top)
• +/-Ao-nori (for sprinkling on top)

1. Finely slice cabbage.  (After slicing, bruise it a little by squeezing in your hands)
2. Mix flour, water, eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Mix in dashi, pickled ginger and negi.  Add cabbage and combine well. 
3. Heat a little oil in a frypan.  Spoon Cabbage/prawn mixture into the frypan, to make a circle about 22cm(9in) across and 1.5cm(3/4in) thick.  Make sure there's enough batter to hold it together.  Neaten the edges by using a spatula to push in the edges and any cabbage or batter that's sticking out.
4. Cook over med-low heat about 5 min.  Flip, then cook another 3-5 min.  When cooked through, turn onto a plate.
5. Spread sauce generously on top.  Decorate with Mayonnaise and your choice of Negi, Katsuobushi and Ao-nori.