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Vegan Okonomiyaki (Osaka Style Savory Pancake)

June 25, 2020 By Lisa Kitahara 33 Comments

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okonomiyaki on a white plate

Vegan Okonomiyaki is a savoury Japanese pancake made with yamaimo, rice flour, cabbage and tenkasu, topped with delicious okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. Learn how to make this popular Japanese street food right in your own kitchen!

vegan okonomiyaki on a white plate with mayonnaise and scallions on top

Today, I'm finally getting around to sharing one of my favourite Japanese street foods: Okonomiyaki!

What is Okonomiyaki?

Okonomiyaki is a popular street food in Japan, often referred to as "Japanese savoury pancake". It's mainly made with a batter using flour, eggs and yamaimo (mountain potato) mixed with cabbage, a protein and other various ingredients. 

There are so many different ingredients you could add into okonomiyaki, the options are endless! Especially in recent years, you'll see ingredients like cheese, mochi, chips and kimchi added to okonomiyaki. The customizability of this dish is reflected in its name: okonomi translates to what you like or how you like it and yaki meaining grilled. 

Okonomiyaki is near and dear to my heart and brings back so many nostalgic memories. When we were out and needed a quick meal or snack, we would always turn to Okonomiyaki because of how fast it was to make and we could each order our favourite. Plus, I loved watching the chefs make it right in front of me over a huge teppan (iron griddle). It was incredible how fast their hands moved! I've also been to other restuarunts where there is a teppan in the middle of the table and we cook our own and other places where they prepare it in the kitchen and bring it out on a single serve teppan. 

Styles of Okonomiyaki

There are two main styles of okonomiyaki that you may run into in Japan: Osaka (Kansai) style and Hiroshima style. I grew up eating the Osaka style because it was much more readily available and it's much easier to make at home. For the Osaka style, the batter is mixed in with the other ingredients for one large batter whereas Hiroshima style is fried in layers and includes yakisoba noodles. I'll be covering how to make Osaka style today but stay tuned for the Hiroshima version!

ingredients for okonomiyaki on bowls on a marble back drop

Ingredients for Vegan Okonomiyaki

To make vegan okonomiyaki, there are a couple of essential ingredients that will make it stand out from the rest. I've been able to find all these ingredients at my local asian market so I hope you have access to these too! Here's what you'll need: 

  • Yamaimo (Mountain Yam) / Nagaimo (Long Yam): This is what makes the pancakes fluffy and chewy at the same time. This ingredient needs to be grated and it gets very slimy but don't be alarmed! If you don't have access to Nagamio I have also tested it using soft/silken tofu and water which works quite well. About 1:1 ratio of tofu and water mashed together.
  • Rice Flour: This makes for a pleasant chewy pancake and keeps it gluten free! If you prefer a more traditional-flour texture pancake, use all purpose flour instead. 
  • Baking powder: Optional, but adds a bit of fluffiness.
  • Tenkasu (Tempura scraps): Gives texture and extra fluffiness to the pancakes. You can buy them on amazon or make them at home! Simply just drop tempura batter into hot oil, scoop with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil. 
  • Shiitake Mushrooms: Gives more umami flavour and replaces the pork belly typically used. You could also use soy curls!
  • Kombu Dashi: Gives the pancakes a delicious umami flavour.
  • Cabbage: Used in all okonomiyaki and gives texture to the pancakes.
  • Okonomiyaki Sauce: This is a MUST. I use the Otafuku's Okonomiyaki sauce which is vegan (and the most popular). However, if you can't find you can make a DIY version by mixing ketchup, tonkatsu sauce / Japanese Worcester sauce, soy auce and brown sugar.
  • Japanese Mayonnaise: I use my own vegan Japanese mayonnaise here. I don't suggest using western mayo because the flavour is completely different. 
  • Anori (dried seaweed): Is particularly more fragrant than just slicing up seaweed. 
  • Beni Shoga (Pickled Ginger): Thinly sliced ginger can also be used but use less than recipe amount.
  • Scallions

Other ingredients you can add to okonmiyaki:

Ingredients I love to add:

  • mochi cakes (LOVE THIS ONE)
  • vegan cheese (with the mochi... so good)
  • corn
  • kimchi
  • yakisoba (hiroshima style includes this)
  • potato chips (so good)

Other ingredients I've seen in Japan:

  • potatoes
  • carrots
  • bean sprouts
  • sliced onions
  • kabocha
  • okonomiyaki batter mixed in a clear bowl
  • savory pancake on top of a large flat griddle pan

How to Vegan Okonomiyaki

Making okonomiyaki is easy. The most difficult part may be flipping the pancake because of how large it is. If you're new to making okonomiyaki, you can make smaller pancakes that are easier to flip!

  1. Prepare the Yamaimo: peel and grate the yamaimo into a bowl. Be careful because it is very slimy and slippery!
  2. Make the batter: add the dashi, rice flour and salt and mix. Then add the other ingredient and mix until combined and everything is coated in the batter.
  3. Cook: Heat a griddle (this is the one I use when making more than 2) or large pan on high. Once you see some sizzling, decrease the temperature to medium and then spoon the batter creating a large thick pancake (about 2 cm in thickness). Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Covering the pancake keeps the pancakes moist and ensures it cooks all the way through. Carefully but quickly flip the pancake using two turners. Then cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
  4. Serve: Place on a serving plate and generously drizzle with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. Then garnish with green onions, aonori and more beni shoga.
authentic okonomiyaki on a griddle tepan

Chewy yet fluffy, thick and vegetable packed. So much flavour and deliciousness in one pancake!

I really hope you try and love this Vegan Okonomiyaki recipe as much as we do. And if you ever have the chance, defiantly check out okonomiyaki spots in Japan for the experience and because it's so much fun! My go-to spot for vegan okonomiyaki is Zen in Tokyo. 🙂

holding okonomiyaki with brown chopsticks

More Vegan Japanese Recipes to Try:

  • Fluffy Japanese Pancakes
  • Yakisoba
  • Japanese Curry Fried Rice
  • Onigiri
  • Chilled Tanuki Udon (Cold Udon Noodle Soup)
  • Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice)
  • Vegan Gyoza
  • Hiyashi Chuka

SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓

vegan okonomiyaki on a white speckled plate with pinterest text overlay

If you recreate this Vegan Osaka Okonomiyaki recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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vegan okonomiyaki on a white plate with mayonnaise and scallions on top

Vegan Osaka Okonomiyaki


★★★★★

4.9 from 22 reviews

  • Author: Lisa Kitahara
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 pancakes 1x
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Description

Learn how to make authentic Vegan Okonomiyaki at home! Fluffy, chewy & so flavourful! The perfect veggie loaded Japanese savory pancake for any meal. 


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 225-250g yamaimo / chinese yam*
  • 1 tsp kombu seaweed dashi
  • 3-5 tablespoon rice flour or all purpose flour (30-50g)**
  • ¾ tsp baking powder, optional
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 spring onions, chopped (30g)
  • 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated (60g)
  • 2 tbsp tenkasu / tempura scraps (20g // see blog post on how to make it at home)
  • 2 cups finely chopped cabbage (180g)
  • 1 heaping tablespoon beni shoga (25g // or half the amount if using fresh thinly sliced ginger)

Toppings:

  • Japanese Vegan Mayo
  • Beni shoga
  • Anori
  • Okonomiyaki sauce
  • Green onions

Homemade Okonomiyaki sauce:

  • 4 tbsp ketchup (60ml)
  • 2 tbsp Japanese Worcester sauce (30ml // Bulldog brand, tonkatu sauce or chuno sauce)
  • 2 tsp soy sauce (10ml)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar (12g)

Instructions

  1. Use a peeler to remove skin off the yamaimo and grate into a large mixing bowl. Yamaimo is very slimy and slippery to be careful when using a grater. 
  2. Add in the dashi, rice flour and salt and stir to combine. Add in the green onions, sliced shiitake mushrooms, tenkasu, cabbage and beni shoga and mix until well combined and everything is coated in the batter.
  3. Heat a large pan or griddle on high and grease with oil. Once heated, bring the temperature to medium (400 F / 200 C), add half the batter and spread it into a circle about 2 cm in thickness. If flipping a large pancake intimidates you, make smaller pancakes so it's easier to flip. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. 
  4. Once the bottom of the pancake is golden brown, use two turners and flip the pancake. Cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat for the next pancake.
  5. To serve, place the pancake on a plate and drizzle with okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese vegan mayo and garnish with green onions, anori (nori) and more beni shoga.

Notes

  • *The more yamaimo is added, the more gooey and mochi-mochi the texture will be. Adjust to your texture preference. If you cannot find yamaimo, you can use 1:1 ratio of soft tofu and water (ie. 112g tofu and 112ml water).
  • **This okonomiyaki has a typical mochi-mochi and gooey texture. If you prefer your okonomiyaki to be slightly cooked, you can increase the amount of rice flour (up to 2 tbsp) and add ¾ teaspoon baking powder for a fluffier texture. 
  • Helpful Equipment: mixing bowls, large flat pan, griddle, turner
  • Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer) without toppings. 
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: entree
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: vegan, gluten free, japanese

Keywords: okonomiyaki, vegan vegetable pancake, japanese savory pancakes

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Okonomi Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When you purchase something through my amazon affiliate links, I earn a small commission that helps me produce consistent content at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my plant based kitchen! 

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Reader Interactions

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Seb

    July 10, 2020 at 11:40 am

    I used to work in a Japanese restaurant and since going vegan I'd never had or tried Okonomiyaki again. Until now! I made this recipe and it was simply amazing, exactly how I remembered Okonomiyaki from back in the day! So simple to make too. I highly recommend you try this. You won't regret it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Kitahara

      July 11, 2020 at 11:45 am

      Thats amazing, I'm so glad to hear that-- thank you so much!

      Reply
  2. Juliah

    July 19, 2020 at 7:48 am

    If we were to substitute with silken tifu, would it be the same amt? Ie 250g?

    Reply
    • Lisa Kitahara

      July 19, 2020 at 11:59 am

      Yes! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Xinthia

    July 26, 2020 at 3:30 pm

    When I was in Japan I found a restaurant that had a vegan okonomiyaki (because you cannot go to Japan and not have tried it, vegan or not). And it was so freaking delicious. I kind of forgot about it when I got back home, but when I saw your recipe I knew I had to try and make it. So I did. I had a bit of trouble finding the ingredients in this western corner of the world (the Netherlands), but eventually got them or some acceptable replacement. I am so glad I made it, once again your recipe is perfection. Just that, the taste, texture and everything else. So thank you for that!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Kitahara

      July 28, 2020 at 11:59 am

      I'm so glad you enjoyed, thank you for sharing! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Hannah Norman

    September 11, 2020 at 11:09 am

    Absolutely delicious and very adaptable! I used my sourdough discard for the batter and it worked a treat 😋😋

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Kitahara

      September 13, 2020 at 2:21 pm

      Thanks so much for trying this recipe Hannah! Love that you tried it with sourdough discard, I'll have to try that 🙂

      Reply
      • Issu

        May 09, 2021 at 10:56 am

        A little confused at the rest of the comments, as I found the texture of this quite unlike normal okonomiyaki - the large amount of yamaimo and small amount of flour makes it very squishy and soft. The flavour was fine but the texture was odd.

        ★★★

        Reply
  5. Jessica

    December 19, 2020 at 6:31 pm

    This was so delicious! I made a few modifications based on what I had on hand, so I will definitely be trying this again with more of the ingredients in the recipe. So good!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Kitahara

      December 25, 2020 at 12:58 pm

      I'm so glad you enjoyed Jessica!

      Reply
  6. jordanna

    January 24, 2021 at 6:43 pm

    this was so good! the texture was so chewy and delightful and the vegan kewpie was also awesome!!! will make again. a little bit of prep but so worth it, seriously!!

    Reply
  7. Jordi

    January 28, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    this was so good! the texture was so chewy and delightful and the vegan kewpie was also awesome!!! will make again. a little bit of prep but so worth it, seriously!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  8. Cecile Kiddo

    February 23, 2021 at 9:06 pm

    It was really good!! I was kinda scared of making it and being disappointed, because it’s a lot of prep...and the ones I had in Japan were just WOW
    But what a good surprise!!! Super delicious!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. Fox

    March 25, 2021 at 8:30 am

    I loved this recipe! It was easy to follow and the okonomiyaki turned out so fluffy! I will definitely be eating this more often. Thank you for this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  10. Sierra

    April 06, 2021 at 10:18 pm

    Very tasty! I changed a few ingredients based on what I had on hand, but the okonomiyaki was filling, flavorful, and satisfying 😊

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  11. Sven

    May 09, 2021 at 1:42 pm

    Great recipe, I love Okonomiyaki but my Husband is vegetarian, well partially vegan, and therefor Egg isn’t an option. When I found this recipe I knew it would be the perfect match for our Japanese Cocktail Night.

    The recipe was great, we had trouble with the Yam because we chose the wrong grind. But with some troubleshooting and our kitchen machine we were able to fix it.

    Overall a great recipe we plan to do again, thanks a lot for this and highly recommended to everyone.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Andy

    May 29, 2021 at 5:56 pm

    Hi, can i substitute dried chinese yam?

    Reply
    • Lisa Kitahara

      May 31, 2021 at 9:06 am

      I think if you re-hydrate yes!

      Reply
  13. Paola

    August 05, 2021 at 10:54 am

    LOVED this recipe! The steps are really easy to follow and the end result was amazing!! I used silken tofu and water because I couldn't find Nagaimo and I was very happy with the texture and taste 🙂 Can't recommend this recipe enough!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  14. Kanami

    August 06, 2021 at 11:49 am

    I loved your recipe.
    I live in Japan and your vegan recipes help me a lot to practice my vegan diet 🌱
    Especially this recipe was the easiest and the best!!
    They were so light and couldn’t stop eating 😂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. Namita

    August 07, 2021 at 1:22 am

    Loved this Okinomiyaki recipe, what a killer breakfast!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  16. Yvie

    August 13, 2021 at 11:17 pm

    H O L Y C O W!!! Where has this been all my life!?! This was y first time making and even trying okonomiyaki. I had to make a couple adjustments based on what I had available.
    Kombu dashi powder - I didn’t have this, so I ground up kombu and used 1 tsp of that.
    Beni shiva - also didn’t have, so I chopped up fresh ginger - like she recommended.
    I used ¼ c rice flour and also added the ¾ tsp of baking powder.
    Oh lawd, this stuff is amazing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  17. Yvie

    August 13, 2021 at 11:19 pm

    H O L Y C O W!!! Where has this been all my life!?! This was y first time making and even trying okonomiyaki. I had to make a couple adjustments based on what I had available.
    Kombu dashi powder - I didn’t have this, so I ground up kombu and used 1 tsp of that.
    Beni shoga - also didn’t have, so I chopped up fresh ginger - like she recommended.
    I used ¼ c rice flour and also added the ¾ tsp of baking powder.
    Oh lawd, this stuff is amazing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  18. Kirienüo

    August 22, 2021 at 9:54 am

    Okonomiyaki Thursdays are now a thing.

    I made mine with some rice cakes, which texturally, was so much nicer than using animal derivatives.
    Most of the ingredients I can find in my local store, which I feel very lucky to have nearby.

    This was such a treat to eat, and I enjoyed my raccoon nap afterwards!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  19. Haley Liu

    August 25, 2021 at 5:09 pm

    OMG. This is definitely one of my favorite recipes ever! I have two boys at home, who does not like vegetables and they love this! It is soooo delicious and goes so well with Japanese beer! It taste better than what I had in Japan!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  20. Ellie

    August 26, 2021 at 2:40 am

    amazing recipe!! this was my first time making okonomiyaki and I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it held up so nicely and tasted absolutely delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  21. Hanna

    August 31, 2021 at 8:35 pm

    It tasted absolutely amazing! It was soft and fluffy and just the right amount of chewy too 🙂 I never used nagaimo in anything before and I am so glad I bought it for this recipe! Bin-vegan family members loved it too btw 🥰

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  22. Miriam

    September 27, 2021 at 11:28 am

    I missed okonomiyaki so much since I became vegan. This recipe tastes even better than I remember and the texture is amazing. I used local yams (brazilian) instead of yamaimo and I think they worked pretty well. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  23. Amber Smigelski

    November 13, 2021 at 12:29 pm

    Really nice balance of japanese flavors! I subbed buckwheat flour for the rice flour, and blended tofu for the yam...also didn't have green onion so i added onion powder to the batter and sliced red onion to the cabbage mixture as well. Was really good though fell apart a bit-will try using tapioca starch next time for a chewier texture. I served this with some panfried homemade tofu "pork" on top as well as siracha hempseed "mayo", pickled ginger, roasted nori, and the recipe on this page for the brown sauce. This recipe tasted better than the last recipe I tried from elsewhere. Lots of flavor and dosn't taste like it's lacking anything! I loved the chewiness of the mushrooms in there!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  24. ishita chakravarty

    February 08, 2022 at 11:44 pm

    This is super yummy!! I actually used grated taro root instead of the Nagaimo because it was super expensive at hmart to get one nagaimo root and I have also tried it with the tofu sub. Both were delicious but I preferred the taro way! I also have just put different veggies sometimes for whatever I have and it turns out great!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  25. Aria

    October 01, 2022 at 10:37 pm

    I really enjoyed this recipe, and had a lot of fun making it! I am not a vegan, but I don’t like working with Raw egg, so these ratios made making this a more enjoyable! I used normal kewpie and mentsuyu instead of soy sauce for the Okonomiyaki sauce, but the texture was spot on for Osaka style! If you aren’t a big fan of the tenkasu (since it can be a bit of a lot of oil and a bit of mess to make at home, and some store bought brands contain shellfish), panko also works great, so it may be worth a note! The only criticism I have of this recipe is I always let my batter rest for at least an hour. (Many traditional places will even rest their batter overnight!) It helps to relax the gluten, make the batter fluffier, and improve the flavor, (the umami of the Dashi has more time to commingle with the batter) which may be a given for many bakers and cooks, but not to novices. I can’t thank you enough for the recipe though! It will be great for celebrating the upcoming Star Festival!

    Reply
  26. Nancy Miller

    December 24, 2022 at 2:29 pm

    Thank you for this recipe! Okonomiyaki is another favorite food among the Japanese and other individuals around the world. The meal is famous in parts like Hiroshima and Osaka which are in the western part of Japan. Preparation of Okonomiyaki requires a griddle that facilitates its preparation. You can find more facts about Okonomiyaki here: https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-cultural-presentation-of-sushi-and-okonomiyaki-recipes/

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Lisa. Welcome to Okonomi Kitchen! Here you'll find delicious vegan recipes that are healthy, simple & easy to make.
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