Truman’s Osaka-Style Vegan Okonomiyaki

The Batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 to 2 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon tapioca flour (this replaces the japanese yam from traditional recipes)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce, or 1/2 teaspoon vegan bouillon (this replaces the dashi from traditional recipes)
3/4 to 1 cup cold water, to make a thinnish, crepe-like batter

The Veg:
(You should use about twice as much veggies as the batter. The batter should just lightly coat the veggies)
1/4 to 1/2 medium head green cabbage, shredded
1 medium carrot, Shredded
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 bunch, green onions, sliced thinly
4 shiitake mushrooms, diced ( to enhance the umami flavor)
Diced pickled red ginger, or shredded fresh ginger root
3 Field Roast frankfurters, quartered and diced, or other vegan meat substitute (may be omitted if desired)

The Toppings:
Okonomi sauce or Tonkatsu sauce (or your favorite vegan BBQ sauce)
Vegan mayonaise in a squeeze bottle
Nori sprinkles (made from crushing a sheet of Nori)
additional thinly sliced green onions, if desired
(I also used Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Seasoning because i like it) 

Toasted sesame oil or other vegetable oil for cooking

To make the batter, whisk together the dry ingredients to remove any lumps. Then add soy sauce to 3/4 cup cold water. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk slowly until there are no lumps. You may need to add additional water to make a thinnish batter, depending on how much flaxseed you add.

To this prepared batter, add the shredded veggies (listed above). Mix the batter and veggies to coat the veggies thoroughly. Add more veggies if needed so that there is a light coating of batter on the veggies without excessive batter in the bowl.

Now, heat a griddle or skillet on medium high heat. Add a small amount of oil to the heated griddle/skillet. Ladle enough veggie batter onto the pan to make a 6 to 8 inch round pancake that is 1/2 to 1 inch think. Allow the pancake to cook for 3-4 minutes. Watch for burning. Now, using two spatulas, carefully flip the pancake over and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Both sides of the pancake should be nicely toasted. Cook times may vary. When done, transfer pancake to a plate.

Drizzle okonomi sauce across the pancake in a zig-zag pattern. Then drizzle vegan mayo in a zig-zag pattern in the opposite direction across the pancake. Top the pancake with Nori sprinkles or other seasonings. Cut pancakes into quarters. Enjoy!