Name: Eggplant Okonomiyaki
Cuisine: 和食
Ingredients: 2–3 eggplants (300g); 50g thinly sliced pork belly (approx. 3 strips); 5 tbsp flour; 1 egg; 2 tsp vegetable oil; 1/4 tsp salt; 4g bonito flakes (A); 2 tbsp red pickled ginger (A); Okonomiyaki sauce (B), to taste; Mayonnaise (B), to taste

About "Eggplant Okonomiyaki"

A unique okonomiyaki that uses plenty of eggplant instead of cabbage. The eggplant is diced into 1 cm cubes, massaged with salt, and mixed with flour, egg, bonito flakes, and red pickled ginger to make the batter. Since it uses the eggplant's natural moisture instead of dashi broth, the process is simple and easy. By topping it with pork belly and steaming it under a lid, the inside becomes melt-in-your-mouth juicy while the outside cooks to a savory crisp. Double-drizzled with sauce and mayonnaise, this satisfying dish is perfect as a dinner main or a savory snack to go with drinks.

Video Timestamps

Tips for Making "Eggplant Okonomiyaki"

Prep
- Cut off the stem and bottom of the eggplants. Make cuts at 1 cm intervals while keeping the far side attached, rotate 90 degrees, make another set of cuts, and slice across to easily dice into 1 cm cubes without scattering (same as dicing an onion).
Prep
- Briefly rinse the diced eggplant just to wash the surface. After draining lightly, it is best if a little moisture remains on the surface.
Prep
- Add 1/4 tsp of salt to the eggplant and gently massage for about 30 seconds. The surface moisture helps dissolve the salt, allowing it to penetrate and soften the eggplant.
Batter
- No dashi is used; make the batter by adding flour, egg, bonito flakes, and red ginger directly to the softened eggplant. The eggplant's own moisture forms the base.
Batter
- Crush the bonito flakes into a powder from outside the bag before adding. Reserve a small amount for the topping.
Cooking
- Using a 20 cm skillet is convenient because the okonomiyaki naturally cooks into a neat round shape without needing to be shaped.
Cooking
- Arrange the pork belly on top without overlapping after pouring in the batter. If you don't have pork belly, chopped bacon, sausage, or pork scraps can be mixed into the batter.
Flipping
- Flipping directly by tossing the skillet is difficult. Slide it onto a plate first, cover with the upside-down skillet, and flip them together to turn it over safely.
Heat Control
- After flipping, tuck the edges inward with a spatula to form a dome, cover, and steam-cook over low to medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. It is done when a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Finishing
- After checking with a skewer, flip again to bring the pork side up. Wipe away excess grease in the skillet with a paper towel for a cleaner, lighter taste.
Seasoning
- Since it is packed with juicy eggplant, double-drizzle the sauce for a slightly richer flavor. Finish by sprinkling the reserved bonito flakes.

Ingredients for "Eggplant Okonomiyaki"

10 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

2–3eggplants (300g)
50gthinly sliced pork belly (approx. 3 strips)
5tbsp flour
1egg
2tsp vegetable oil
1/4tsp salt
4gbonito flakes (A)
2tbsp red pickled ginger (A)
Okonomiyakisauce (B), to taste
Mayonnaise(B), to taste

How to Make "Eggplant Okonomiyaki"

1
Cut off the stem and bottom of the eggplants. Make vertical cuts at 1 cm intervals while keeping the far side attached, rotate 90 degrees, and make another set of cuts at 1 cm intervals. Slice across from the end to dice into 1 cm cubes.
2
Briefly rinse the diced eggplant in water to wash the surface, drain lightly, and transfer to a bowl (it is fine if some moisture remains on the surface).
3
Add 1/4 tsp of salt to the eggplant in the bowl and gently massage with your hands for about 30 seconds. It is ready when the eggplant softens and becomes slightly wilted.
4
Add 5 tbsp of flour to the softened eggplant and mix thoroughly to coat.
5
Crack in 1 egg and mix while beating it to form a thick, batter-like consistency.
6
Crush 4g of bonito flakes into a powder from outside the bag, reserve a small amount for the topping, and add the rest to the batter. Add 2 tbsp of red pickled ginger and mix well to complete the batter.
7
Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a 20 cm skillet, pour in all of the batter, and spread it evenly with a spoon.
8
Arrange 50g of thinly sliced pork belly on top of the batter without overlapping, and cook slowly until the bottom is golden brown and set.
9
Once the bottom is browned, slide the pancake onto a plate. Place the skillet upside down over the plate, and flip both together quickly to turn it over.
10
Return to the heat, use a spatula to tuck the edges inward to form a dome shape, and press down lightly. Cover with a lid and steam-cook over low to medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
11
Insert a bamboo skewer into the center; if it comes out clean without any wet batter, it is cooked through. Flip once more to bring the pork side to the top, and wipe away any excess grease in the skillet with a paper towel.
12
Transfer to a plate and drizzle generously with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. Sprinkle the reserved bonito flakes on top to finish.

Detailed Commentary on "Eggplant Okonomiyaki"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Kijima-Style! Easy Eggplant Cutting Hack

We are using 3 small eggplants (about 300g) today. Two large ones will work just fine too. After cutting off the stems and bottoms, we will dice them into 1 cm cubes. Here is the easy 'Kijima-style' cutting method: make cuts in the eggplant at 1 cm intervals, but keep the far side attached. Next, rotate the eggplant and make cuts at 1 cm intervals again. By slicing across from the end while the far side is still connected, you can easily dice it into 1 cm cubes without the pieces scattering. This is the same concept as dicing an onion. Once cut, give them a quick rinse in water. A brief rinse to wash the surface is more than enough.

Drawing Out Moisture with Salt

Once all the eggplant is cut, drain it lightly and transfer it to a bowl. It is best if a little moisture remains on the surface of the eggplant. Add 1/4 tsp of salt here, and gently massage it with your hands. Massaging with salt helps the salt dissolve easily in the remaining surface moisture, allowing it to penetrate the eggplant. The key is to create a salt-massaged state to help draw out the moisture. After about 30 seconds of gentle massaging, the sharp edges of the eggplant will soften, and it will become slightly wilted.

No Dashi Needed! Eggplant-Focused Batter

Add 5 tbsp of flour to the softened eggplant and mix well. Standard okonomiyaki batter is made by mixing flour with dashi broth, but this time we are adding the ingredients directly to the eggplant to make the batter. Therefore, no dashi broth is used at all. Once the flour is incorporated, crack in 1 egg and mix further. As you beat and mix the egg, it will gradually turn into a thick, batter-like consistency. Next, crush 4g of bonito flakes from outside the bag into a powder, reserve a small amount for the topping, and add the rest. Adding 2 tbsp of red pickled ginger will also sharpen the flavor and make it delicious. Now the batter is ready.

Easy Cooking in a 20 cm Skillet

We are using a 20 cm skillet today. This size is very convenient because the okonomiyaki naturally cooks into a neat round shape without you having to shape it. Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in the skillet and pour in all of the batter at once. Spread it evenly with a spoon. On top of that, arrange 50g of thinly sliced pork belly (about 3 strips) without overlapping. If you don't have pork belly, you can also make it delicious by chopping up bacon, sausage, or pork scraps and mixing them into the batter. Once the pork is on top, cook slowly until the bottom is golden brown and set.

Tips for Flipping Safely Using a Plate

Once the bottom is beautifully browned, it's time to flip. Flipping it directly by tossing the skillet can be difficult, so let's do it the safe way. First, slide the okonomiyaki onto a plate. Place the skillet upside down over the plate, hold both the plate and skillet firmly, and flip them over all at once. This way, you can flip it beautifully without any mistakes. Once flipped, return it to the heat, use a spatula to tuck the edges inward to form a dome shape, and press down lightly. Then, cover with a lid and steam-cook over low to medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes to cook it all the way through.

Double-Drizzling Sauce for Rich Flavor

After 4 to 5 minutes, remove the lid and insert a bamboo skewer into the center. If no wet batter clings to the skewer, it is cooked through. Flip it once more to bring the pork side to the top. Since excess grease from the pork belly has accumulated at the bottom of the skillet, wipe it clean with a paper towel. This makes it clean and easy to eat. Once plated, drizzle with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise to taste. Since it is packed with juicy eggplant, the secret to making it delicious is to double-drizzle the sauce for a slightly richer flavor. Finally, sprinkle the reserved bonito flakes on top, and it's done.