Okonomiyaki お好み焼き

Okonomiyaki is basically a Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. Okonomi means "what you like" or "what you want" with "yaki" meaning grill hence other the basic ingredient of flour, stock and cabbage, you can very much add what ever you like in the batter, things like cheese, seafood, bacons are some of thing things I can think of right away. If you cannot find Nagaimo which is a type of yam, feel free to leave it out but it can be found usually in Japanese supermarket. 

Recipes 

1 cup      Plain flour
1/2 tsp    Baking powder
1/4 tsp    Salt
1/4 tsp    Sugar
3/4 cup   Dashi stock or water
2            Egg
1/4        Cabbage, about 2 to 3 cups packed and shredded
2-3 in    Nagaimo (grated)
2            Spring onion (finely chopped)
1/2         leek (finely chopped)
1 cup     Squid (cut into small pieces)

Method

• Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and dashi stock and egg. Whisk to combine.
• Add in the remaining ingredient and mix well
•  In a oil pan, scoop a ladle of batter onto the pan. Do not flatten too much or it will break apart when you try to turn it over. 
• Cook on one side for about 1 to 2 minutes.
• If you are adding bacon, you can lay about 2 to 3 slices onto before you turn over to the other side
• Cook for another 2 minutes or 5 minutes if using bacon.
• Remove from heat, top with Japanese mayonnaise, Okomiyaki sauce, Katsuobushi 

Cheesy Beef Korokke コロッケ

Having some potato in the kitchen and do not know what to do with it hence decided to make some korokke. Korokke is the Japanese name for croquette which is basically mash potato with filling like meat or seafood, breaded and fried to a golden brown. After going through some recipes online and doing some modification of my own to suit my taste. You can easy omit the cheese or change the filling as you need. Simple recipes which take no effort at all to make. Make a bigger batch and you can store the leftover in your freezer for up to a month.

Recipes (Makes about 8 to 10)

4            Medium potatoes (washed and peeled)
1             Egg
1             Onion (Diced finely)
1/2          Carrot (shredded)
5             Shitake mushroom (Diced)
50g         Mozzarella cheese
200g       Minced beef

1 Tsp      Japanese Soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

For breading 

3             Egg
2 cup      Panko (Japanese Breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup   All purpose flour

Method 

• Cook the potato till skewer goes through easily about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of your potato. Cut it smaller for faster cooking
• Mash potato but do not mash it too finely, we want to have some chunks of potato for texture 
• Saute onion for about 5 min in a lightly oiled pan
• Add carrot, mushroom and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes
• Add meat and brown the meat. Season to taste. 
• Add meat mixture into potato and stir to combine
• When the mixture cool slightly, add egg and mix well
• Form into individual korokke and fill each korokke with about a tblsp of mozzarella cheese
• Heat oil in a heavy bottom saucepan to about 180 degree C
• Dredge in flour, egg then panko.
• Fried till golden brown, served with tokatsu sauce readily available at any supermarket, usually you will find the Bull Dog brand.