Cabbage and egg pancake cooked in one frying pan without flour. Thinly shaved cabbage is marinated for 5–10 minutes in soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, sesame seeds and honey. Grated mozzarella is melted in a dry pan, three beaten eggs are poured on top, the cabbage goes on and the pancake cooks under a lid, then is folded in half and finished with unagi sauce and mayonnaise. One serving, about 20 minutes.
Instructions
- 1
Cut the cabbage in half and shave 150 g (5 oz) into a bowl with a vegetable peeler. The shavings should be paper-thin.
- 2
Add 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar, ½ tsp sesame oil, ½ tsp grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp sesame seeds and ½ tsp honey. Mix with your hands and leave for 5–10 minutes.
10:00 - 3
Grate the mozzarella.
- 4
Beat 3 eggs with a fork just until mixed, without foam. Do not add salt.
- 5
Heat a dry frying pan to just below medium, with no oil. Scatter the cheese over the base in a thin layer with gaps.
- 6
When the cheese has melted, pour in the eggs. Do not stir. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the bottom has set and the top is still wet.
03:00 - 7
Lift the cabbage out of the bowl, leaving the juice behind, and spread it over the eggs in an even layer. Cover with the lid and cook for 2–3 minutes more on the same heat.
03:00 - 8
Lift one edge with a spatula and fold the pancake in half. Slide it onto a plate.
- 9
Spread a thin coat of unagi sauce over the top, pipe lines of mayonnaise across it and drag a skewer back and forth through the lines.
Notes from our kitchen
Shave the cabbage with a vegetable peeler: the shavings are thin enough to soften in 2–3 minutes under the lid while the eggs stay soft. Keep the marinade to 5–10 minutes; after 15 minutes the cabbage leaks juice, and juice under the eggs steams them instead of frying. Lift the cabbage out with your hands and leave the liquid in the bowl. The pan stays dry: mozzarella releases enough fat. Scatter the cheese thin, with gaps; a solid layer melts into one rubbery sheet. Keep the heat just below medium, or the cheese burns before the eggs set. Beat the eggs only until mixed; foam sets full of holes and the sheet breaks on the fold. No salt: the soy sauce, cheese and unagi sauce are salty enough. Pour the eggs only after the cheese has melted and leave them untouched. Fold with a wide spatula under the cheese side, in one movement.
Variations
- Different cheese. Gouda or cheddar give a darker, nuttier crust than mozzarella. Grate them fine and scatter them just as thin; harder cheeses brown faster.
- Okonomiyaki toppings. Add thinly sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds over the mayonnaise, or a few bonito flakes (katsuobushi). Okonomiyaki sauce can replace the unagi sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why marinate the cabbage?
Plain shaved cabbage stays raw and crunchy in the few minutes it spends in the pan. The salt in the soy sauce softens it, the vinegar removes the raw taste, and the sesame oil and ginger add aroma. After 5–10 minutes even an older head is soft enough.
Can I use oil instead of cheese on the pan?
Yes, but there will be no crust. The cheese forms the golden toasted side and releases enough fat on its own, so the pan is dry. Keep the layer thin with gaps so it browns instead of turning rubbery.
Why did the pancake break when folded?
Either the eggs were beaten foamy and set full of holes, or the heat was too high and the bottom scorched before the top set. Beat the eggs gently, keep the heat just below medium and let the eggs set for 2–3 minutes before the cabbage goes on.
How do I store leftovers?
Covered in the fridge for a day. Reheat in a dry pan over low heat with the lid on for a couple of minutes; add the sauce and mayonnaise after reheating.