Japanese-Style Cabbage Pancakes with Garlic Shallot Chili Crisp

These cabbage-filled pancakes take inspiration from Osaka-style okonomiyaki, with a simple flour-and-egg batter, savory-sweet sauce, and a BLACKLAND Garlic Shallot Chili Crisp finish. Omitting mountain yam, tempura scraps, and pork makes this an accessible, slightly firmer adaptation.

About four 5-inch pancakes; 2 main servings of 2 pancakes, or 4 smaller servings with separately prepared sides.

Allow about 50 minutes: 20 minutes preparation and 30 minutes to preheat and cook two batches using two skillets. The required 10-minute batter rest happens during preparation and is not added again. With only one skillet, allow about 75 minutes total for four successive pancakes.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) cool prepared dashi; standard bonito dashi contains fish
• 2 large eggs
• 1 pound (450 g) trimmed green cabbage, finely chopped into roughly 1/4-inch pieces and thoroughly dried
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped, drained red pickled ginger (beni shoga)
• 4 teaspoons neutral oil, divided, for the skillets
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) prepared okonomiyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons BLACKLAND Garlic Shallot Chili Crisp
• 1 teaspoon aonori (dried green seaweed), or finely crumbled plain nori

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, dashi, and eggs just until no dry flour remains. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes while you chop and dry the cabbage, slice the scallions, and drain and chop the ginger. The base batter should be thick but fall from a spoon, not form a kneadable dough.
2. Fold the dry cabbage, scallion whites, and pickled ginger into the batter. Every piece of cabbage should be coated; the mixture should mound on a spoon with little loose liquid underneath. Divide into four roughly equal portions. Reserve the scallion greens for serving.
3. Set two 10- to 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned skillets over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon oil to each. Spoon one quarter of the mixture into each pan and gently shape each into a 5-inch round, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Keep the pancakes separate and avoid packing them down firmly.
4. Reduce to medium-low, cover, and cook about 5 minutes, until the undersides are browned and the edges hold together. Slide a wide spatula fully underneath each pancake; use a second spatula to support the top edge while turning it away from you. Cover and cook the second side for about 5 minutes. Lower the heat if the surface darkens quickly.
5. Uncover, turn once more, and cook about 2 minutes to dry the surface. The center must be set with no wet egg or raw batter; an instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into the center should reach 160°F (71°C). If needed, cover and cook on low for another 1 to 3 minutes before uncovering to crisp. Transfer to plates. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to each skillet and repeat with the remaining two portions; plan about 30 minutes for preheating and both batches.
6. Stir the chili crisp to redistribute its oil and solids. Divide the okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise over the four pancakes in thin lines. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon chili crisp over each, then divide the scallion greens and aonori among them. Cut a wedge to expose the cabbage-filled center and serve promptly.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve two pancakes per person for a light main meal.
• Serve one pancake per person with separately prepared steamed rice and edamame or a cucumber salad; these sides are outside the recipe timing and yield.

Optional Variations

• For a version suitable for vegetarians, use the same 1/2 cup of prepared kombu-shiitake dashi and an okonomiyaki sauce specifically labeled vegetarian. Check sauces and toppings for fish, oyster, and other animal ingredients; keep the bonito-free garnish written here.
• If Japanese mayonnaise is unavailable, replace the 2 tablespoons with 2 tablespoons standard mayonnaise mixed with 1/4 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar. This changes the flavor slightly.
• Plain nori can replace the 1 teaspoon aonori at the same measured amount after being finely crumbled. The pancake itself is intentionally simpler and firmer than versions made with mountain yam and tenkasu.

Storage & Make-Ahead

For best texture, refrigerate cooked pancakes without sauce or toppings in a covered shallow container at 40°F (4°C) or below for up to 3 days. Add fresh toppings after reheating. Cook mixed cabbage batter promptly rather than keeping it for another day, since the cabbage releases water.

Reheat cooked pancakes in a 350°F (175°C) oven until the center reaches 165°F (74°C), about 12 to 18 minutes depending on thickness. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the air temperature exceeds 90°F (32°C).

Contains wheat and egg. Standard bonito dashi contains fish; prepared okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise may add soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, or other allergens depending on the brand. Check the dashi, sauce, mayonnaise, ginger, seaweed, and chili-crisp labels before making dietary claims. The default recipe is not labeled vegetarian.

Stirred Garlic Shallot Chili Crisp contributes garlic, shallot, and gentle product heat (2/5). Add it after cooking so its solids stay distinct instead of scorching in the skillet; the finished dish has an estimated mild heat.

More from the BLACKLAND kitchen: Garlic Shallot Chili Crisp Dumplings or Garlic Shallot Fried Rice.