Vegan Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Pancakes

This Vegan Okonomiyaki – Japanese savory pancakes recipe uses cabbages, mushroom and smoked tofu. Comforting, hearty and easy to make!

What is Okonomiyaki?

Okonomiyaki is a popular Japanese street food option from Osaka. It is a savory pancake dish containing cabbage, meat, seafood and some other condiments. Okonomiyaki in Japanese is translated to “grilled as you like it”, so it’s super versatile and can be made in various ways as you like.

This vegan version of Okonomiyaki

The traditional version makes Okonomiyaki with bacon, which is substituted by smoked tofu in this vegan recipe, but you can also use vegan bacon.

Eggs are also commonly used to make the batter stick together better, in this recipe they are substituted by chia seeds. Using accessible ingredients, this recipe is also much quicker and easier to make – in only about 30 minutes. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner option that is nutritious, fiber-rich yet so filling and yummy.

Tips to make this recipe

First, combine the flour, chia seeds and water and mix in a bowl. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, as the chia seeds will help the mixture thickened over time.

Then chop the vegetables: 1/4 a green cabbage, 200g mushrooms, 1/2 cup green onions. Make sure to chop the vegetables as thin as possible – this will help the batter stick together and more delicious to enjoy!

After that, add the cabbage, mushroom and green onion pieces into the bowl and mix well to combine. The mixture makes about 2 Okonomiyaki.

Pour the batter into a non-stick pan, and spread evenly to make sure that there are no holes in the pancake. Add the smoked tofu or vegan bacon slices on top, then cover with a lid and let this fry for 5 minutes or until the other side is crispy and golden brown.

Flip the pancakes and fry for 3-5 minutes, before transferring to a plate and adding the remaining toppings: Okonomiyaki sauce, vegan mayonnaise, green onions, shredded nori seaweed and sesame seeds.

Variations of the recipe

There are many variations that can be used in this recipe:

• Cabbage: you can use Napa cabbage, green or white cabbage.
• Shiitake Mushroom: you can opt for other types of mushroom.
• Smoked tofu: I like to get my smoked tofu at my local supermarket, but you can also use vegan bacon substitutes or mushrooms instead.
• Okonomiyaki sauce: I bought mine from my local Asian supermarket, but you can also make it yourself using ketchup, soy sauce, and maple syrup.
• Vegan Japanese (Kewpie) mayonnaise: I made by own vegan Japanese kewpie mayo using this recipe by Okonomikitchen, but you can also buy it in some Asian- stores or on Amazon. Alternatively, you can use other vegan mayonnaise!

Why will you love this Vegan Okonomiyaki recipe?

This recipe is:

• Easy to make
• Versatile: you can swap the ingredients with what you have on hand.
• One of the best recipes to clean out the fridge with, as you can use what you have left in the fridge to make it.

If you have tried my recipe, please let me know what you think by leaving me a review on this page or tagging me on Instagram @veggieanh. I would love to see your creations!

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If you enjoyed this recipe, also check out some of my other Japanese recipes:

• Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles)
• Onigirazu (Sushi Sandwich) using the Tortilla Hack
• Green Goddess Salad with Japanese flavors
• Peanut Butter Soba Noodles (Vegan)
• Vegan Miso Ramen (Easy One-pot Recipe)
• Japanese Pumpkin Croquettes (Kabocha Korokke)