If Dr Joanna McMillan's article left you wondering how you can incorporate more brain-beneficial meals into your diet, here's a sneak peak of one of our favourite recipes from Brain Food...
These quick Japanese Cabbage Pancakes – also known as okonomiyaki – area great recipe to use up left-over cabbage. You can also easily add extra veggies to the mix if you’d like. The best part? Kids love them too. Recipe – welcome to our weekly rotation. Prep + cook time is 50 minutes (+ standing). Serves 4. BRAIN FOOD by Dr Joanna McMillan, Bauer Books, $35 Available at www.magshop.com.au and where all good books are sold.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (260g) buckwheat flour
- 1⁄3 cup (50g) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 2 eggs
- 6 cups (480g) finely shredded cabbage
- 1⁄3 cup (90g) pink pickled ginger
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 large avocado (320g)
- 2 green onions (scallions), sliced thinly
- pink pickled ginger, extra, and lime wedges, to serve
- 1 tablespoon black and white sesame seeds, toasted
Dipping sauce
- ¼ cup (60ml) light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Method
- Whisk flour, cornflour, eggs and 11/2 cups (375ml) water in a large bowl until smooth and combined; stand for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 120°C/250°F. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
- Make dipping sauce.
- Add cabbage and ginger to the batter; stir to combine.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Spoon one quarter of the batter mixture into pan, flatten to form a 2.5cm (1in) thick pancake. Cook pancake for 4 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to tray; keep warm in oven. Repeat process with remaining batter to make four pancakes.
- Mash avocado flesh in a small bowl until smooth.
- Top pancakes with avocado, onion, extra pickled ginger and sesame seeds; serve with lime wedges and dipping sauce.
Dipping sauce
- Combine ingredients in a small bowl.