Air-Fryer Okonomiyaki Bites
Small Japanese cabbage pancakes — shredded cabbage, eggs, flour, green onion — air-fried into round bites, brushed with okonomiyaki sauce and Kewpie mayo, topped with bonito flakes and pickled ginger. Osaka street food in a basket.
Okonomiyaki is Japan's "as you like it" pancake — Osaka street food made from a flour-and-egg batter studded with shredded cabbage and whatever extras the cook fancies (pork belly, prawns, octopus, cheese, kimchi). It's pan-fried on a flat-top griddle, finished with a sweet-savoury okonomiyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire), zigzag of Kewpie mayonnaise, bonito flakes that dance in the heat, and pickled ginger.
This air-fryer version makes small round individual bites instead of one large pancake — easier to plate, faster to cook, perfect for sharing. The batter is the standard cabbage-heavy ratio (about 60% cabbage by weight). Spoon into small rounds on parchment, air-fry at 200°C for 12 minutes.
The photo shows the assembled bites on a grey ceramic plate: golden-brown patties with dark sauce zigzags, white Kewpie mayo zigzag crossing it, pink pickled ginger curls and bright green spring onion sliced on top, sesame seeds scattered.
Method
ii.-
01
Mix the batter
Whisk flour, cornflour, baking powder, salt, dashi (if using),
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02
Fold in vegetables
Add shredded cabbage, white parts of spring onions, and pickled
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03
Shape
Cut a square of parchment to fit the basket. Scoop ¼ cup mounds
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04
Air fry
Heat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Spray with oil. Cook 12–14
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05
Make the sauce
Whisk all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
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06
Assemble
Plate the pancakes. Drizzle okonomiyaki sauce in zigzags, then
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07
Serve
Eat immediately.