Whether for breakfast or dinner, savory or sweet – pancakes are always a hit! Japanese cuisine or Japanese breakfast is known for the pastries being very light and fluffy. Between 5 and 10 cm high, slowly baked and extremely delicious - Japanese pancakes are currently taking over social media and people are lining up to try the delicacies! At first glance, the preparation may seem a bit tricky, but with our tips you will definitely succeed! In this article we have a recipe for you for the fluffy version as well as for Okonomiyaki - an extremely delicious and hearty pancake from distant Japan!
Important tips for preparation
The ingredients for the Japanese pancakesare actually similar to normal pancakesthat everyone knows. So what makes them so special? The most important thing is that the eggs are separated and beaten well. The bubbly and soft consistency is achieved by baking at a low temperature. Even though they take a little more time, the taste is simply great. We recommend you bake the pancakes on the weekend for a long breakfast with the family!
- Beat the egg white until stiff –There must not be a single trace of egg yolk and the bowls and stirring rod must be absolutely clean and free of grease.
- Preheat pan –Even heating the pan is crucial for your Japanese pancakes to turn out really well! Preheat it on the lowest setting for about 15 minutes.
- Bake slowly and covered over low heat –At a higher temperature, the pancakes will look cooked on the outside, but the inside will remain raw. Therefore, even and slow baking is of great importance.
Recipe for fluffy Japanese pancakes
Ingredients for 2 pancakes:
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp (approx. 30 ml) whole milk
- 25 grams of flour
- 25 grams of sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 tbsp water
preparation
- Separate the eggs and place the yolks and whites in two different bowls. For better results and for the egg whites to rise faster, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Beat the egg yolks until frothy to a yellowish-white consistency.
- Add baking powder and cornstarch to the flour and mix well. Sieve once and add to the egg yolk.
- Pour the milk into the bowl and mix everything quickly.
- Now you can preheat the pan for your Japanese pancakes.
- Take the egg whites out of the fridge and mix with a hand mixer at high speed for about 5-6. You need to get a stiff, fluffy white mixture. In addition, stiff peaks must form when you lift the hand mixer.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle in the sugar in small amounts.
- Add 1/3 of the mixture to the egg yolk and beat briefly.
- Add another half and stir gently in slow, circular movements.
- Now add the entire egg yolk mixture to the remaining egg whites and stir gently until everything is completely mixed.
Now the pancakes just need to be fried. But if you think there's nothing special about it, then you're wrong!
- Increase the heat a little and use a ladle to form pancakes.
- As soon as the pancakes have risen a little, add more of the batter mixture. Then add 1 tablespoon of water to an unused corner of the pan.
- Make sure they only increase in height and not in width. You can also use small cake rings or soufflé molds and distribute the mixture in them.
- Then put the lid on and fry for 3 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add another ball of dough. Now cover and fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add a final portion of dough and cover again for 6 minutes.
- Carefully turn the Japanese pancakes over. If they don't come apart easily - fry for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add another 1 tablespoon of water, cover and fry for 5 minutes.
- And these delicious, fluffy pancakes are readyfrom Japan!
Okonomiyaki – savory Japanese pancakes
Okonomiyaki is another delicious dish from Japanese cuisine and translated means “fry what you like and what suits your taste”. Toppings vary depending on region and taste, but the three most popular variants are Kansai, Tokyo and Hiroshima. It is somewhat reminiscent of the popular potato rösti and is traditionally prepared on the teppan - a hot table iron grill. But our recipe also works in the pan! An interesting fact is that most restaurants that offer these Japanese pancakes work on the “grill it yourself” principle. The waiter fills a bowl with raw ingredients, which the customer mixes themselves at the table or on special hot plates and then grills.
Ingredients for the dough:
- 200 grams of flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 TL Dashi Pulver
- 1 TL Death
- 400 ml water
Filling:
- 200 grams white cabbage, chopped finely
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 6 slices of bacon or ham
- dried fish flakes (bonito flakes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- If desired, additional ingredients of your choice - for example mung bean sprouts, corn or other vegetables
- Salt and pepper
Garnish:
- pickled ginger, ao-nori seaweed, 2 tablespoons tonkatsu sauce (from the Asian store)
Preparation:
- For the dough, sift the flour, baking powder and dashi powder and mix with the water. Stir once, add mirin and mix until smooth.
- Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add about two ladles of batter and fry briefly.
- Add half of the white cabbage, the spring onions, a little fish flakes and ham/bacon on top. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread a small ladleful of batter onto the pancakes. Turn carefully and fry for another 5-6 minutes.
- Turn again and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the pan, spread with tonkatsu sauce and then sprinkle with ginger and seitan.
