Japanese Vegetable Pancakes with Cabbage, Kale, and Carrots
Japanese Vegetable Pancakes
Crisp-edged vegetable pancakes packed with cabbage, kale, carrots, and scallions, served with a quick tangy okonomiyaki-style sauce.
These Japanese-inspired vegetable pancakes are built around a generous pile of shredded cabbage, carrot ribbons, kale, and scallions held together with just enough flour and egg. The result is closer to a crisp vegetable fritter than a soft breakfast pancake: browned at the edges, tender through the center, and sturdy enough to eat as dinner.
The batter is intentionally light. Salting the vegetables first seasons the whole mixture, and tossing them with flour before the eggs helps the thin coating cling to every strand. A heavy skillet and a shallow film of hot oil are what give the pancakes their browned, craggy edges.
Cook the mixture as four large pancakes for a meal, or make smaller fritters for a snack plate or appetizer. Smaller pancakes are easier to flip, while larger ones make a satisfying main dish, especially with a fried egg, extra scallions, or toasted sesame seeds on top.
The quick sauce is a pantry-friendly nod to okonomiyaki sauce: tangy, lightly sweet, and savory enough to pull the vegetables together. Serve it spooned over the pancakes or on the side so the crisp edges stay crisp until the last bite.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Combine the cabbage, carrots, kale, scallions, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Toss firmly with your hands until the vegetables are evenly mixed and lightly seasoned.
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2
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and toss again until the shreds are lightly coated and no dry pockets of flour remain at the bottom of the bowl.
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3
Pour in the beaten eggs and fold until the mixture looks glossy and the vegetables are loosely bound by a thin batter.
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4
Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, sake, soy sauce, honey, and ground ginger together in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until smooth and slightly thickened, then set aside.
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5
Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough neutral oil to coat the bottom in a thin layer and let it shimmer before adding the vegetable mixture.
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6
For large pancakes, add one quarter of the mixture to the skillet and press it into a 1/2-inch-thick round. For smaller pancakes, add loose handfuls and press each one just enough to hold together.
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7
Cook until the underside is deeply browned and the edges look crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip carefully with a wide spatula, then cook the second side until browned and the center is set, 3 to 4 minutes more.
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8
Transfer cooked pancakes to a rack or a warm oven while you cook the remaining batter, adding a little more oil as needed. Serve hot with the sauce, extra scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and Japanese mayonnaise if using.
Ingredients
- Green Cabbage, very thinly sliced:1 pound
- Carrots, peeled into ribbons:4 medium
- Lacinato Kale Leaves, ribs removed and thinly sliced:5 leaves
- Scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving:4
- Kosher Salt:1 teaspoon
- All-Purpose Flour:1/2 cup
- Large Eggs, lightly beaten:6
- Neutral Oil, such as canola or peanut oil:as needed
- Ketchup:1/4 cup
- Worcestershire Sauce:1 1/2 tablespoons
- Dijon Mustard:1/4 teaspoon
- Sake or Rice Cooking Wine:1 tablespoon
- Soy Sauce:1 teaspoon
- Honey:1 tablespoon
- Ground Ginger:1/8 teaspoon
- Toasted Sesame Seeds, for serving:as needed
- Japanese Mayonnaise, optional for serving:as needed
Tips & Notes
- Use a mandoline for the cabbage if you have one; very thin shreds cook faster and hold together better.
- Smaller pancakes are easier to flip and are a good choice for a first batch.
- If making large pancakes, slide one onto a plate before flipping if the skillet feels crowded.
- Keep cooked pancakes on a rack in a 225°F oven so the edges stay crisp.
- Leftover pancakes reheat best on a baking sheet in a hot oven or toaster oven.
