Potato & Cabbage Good Stuff
Hello foodies! Welcome back to my kitchen.
Today, I want to share a recipe that will change your breakfast game: a fluffy and savory Japanese-style pancake made with potato and cabbage. Forget the sweet, syrupy kind for a moment. This pancake is packed with vegetables, has a wonderfully soft and chewy texture on the inside, and is perfectly crispy on the outside.
The secret ingredient is grated potato, which gives it a unique “mochi-mochi” (chewy) texture that is incredibly satisfying. It’s quick, easy, and a fantastic way to enjoy a healthy and hearty meal to start your day. Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients (For 1 serving)
For the Pancake Batter:
Cabbage: 200g (approx. 7 oz), finely shredded
Potato: 100g (approx. 3.5 oz), peeled and grated
Egg: 1 large
All-purpose flour: 2.5 tbsp
Soy sauce: 1 tsp
Mirin: 1 tsp (sweet Japanese rice wine)
Dashi powder: 1/2 tsp (Japanese soup stock powder)
Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp
Thinly sliced pork belly: 50g (approx. 1.8 oz)
For the Homemade Sauce:
Tonkatsu sauce: 2 tbsp
Ketchup: 2 tsp
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Dashi powder: A pinch
For Toppings (as desired):
Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie is recommended)
Bonito flakes (Katsuobushi)
Dried green seaweed (Aonori)
Instructions
Prep the Veggies & Pork: Finely shred the cabbage. Peel and grate the potato. Cut the pork belly slices into bite-sized pieces.
Make the Batter: In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, grated potato, egg, all-purpose flour, soy sauce, mirin, and dashi powder. Mix with a spoon or chopsticks until everything is well combined.
Cook the First Side: Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pour the entire batter into the pan, shaping it into a thick, round pancake. Neatly arrange the pork belly slices on top of the batter without overlapping. Cook for 3 minutes.
Flip and Steam: Carefully flip the pancake. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and let it steam-cook for 5 minutes. This step ensures the inside is cooked through and becomes wonderfully fluffy while the pork gets crispy.
Make the Sauce: While the pancake is cooking, quickly mix the tonkatsu sauce, ketchup, sugar, and pinch of dashi powder in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
Serve and Garnish: Once cooked, slide the pancake onto a plate with the pork side facing up. Brush generously with the homemade sauce. Finally, drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise and sprinkle with bonito flakes and aonori. Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious creation!
I hope you enjoy this unique and savory Japanese pancake. It’s a perfect dish for breakfast, brunch, or even a light dinner. For a step-by-step video tutorial, be sure to check out my YouTube channel!
Happy cooking!