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Japanese latkes

Japanese-Style Latkes

This Japanese-inspired pancake recipe is the perfect addition to your Hanukkah rotation.

  • Total Time: 20 minutes + 30 minutes of resting
  • Yield: 1 pancake

Ingredients

For the pancakes:

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose mix
  • ¼ cup potato starch or cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½-¾ cup water
  • ½ shredded green cabbage, about 4 ½ packed cups
  • 3 green onions, sliced thin, plus more for garnish if desired
  • 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
  • 4-5 inches daikon, peeled and shredded (optional)
  • oil, as needed (sunflower, canola or peanut)
  • sesame seeds, for topping (optional)
  • mayonnaise, for topping (optional)

For the okonomiyaki sauce:

  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp honey or agave syrup, or to taste

Instructions

  1. Start by making the batter. Whisk together the flour, starch, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl beat the eggs. Add the eggs and ½ cup of water to the flour mixture. Whisk until smooth. You want a fairly thin, crepe batter-like consistency. If you find it too thick, add another ¼ cup of water. Try not to over-mix; you do not want to overdevelop the gluten. Allow the batter to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
  3. While the batter is resting, prepare the vegetables. Remove the thick core from the cabbage half, then cut the halved cabbage in two. Thinly slice or shred the cabbage. Thinly slice the green onions. Grate the carrot and daikon if using.
  4. Make the okonomiyaki sauce: Combine the ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce and honey/agave in a bowl. Taste and adjust to your liking. The sauce should be tangy, savory and a little sweet.
  5. Combine the batter with the vegetable mixture.
  6. Heat a cast-iron skillet or a nonstick skillet with about 3 Tbsp oil over high heat. Once the oil is glistening and hot, lower the heat to medium low and add some of the cabbage mixture to the pan, gently nudging it into a circle shape. I like to make each pancake with about 2 cups of the mixture. For me, that makes an ideal-sized pancake that isn’t too hard to flip, and one that will hold together. Cover the skillet with a lid for 3-4 minutes. Carefully flip over the pancake, and cover it with a lid for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until browned on both sides and cooked through. Make sure not to cook on too high of a heat or the pancake might burn on the outside while remaining raw in the center.
  7. Serve hot topped with a generous spread of the okonomiyaki sauce, mayo if desired, sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Slice and serve!
  • Author: Sonya Sanford
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes + up to an hour of chilling time
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Japanese