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    Home » Breakfast Recipe Ideas

    Spring Onions Okara Pancakes

    Published: May 15, 2022 · Modified: Nov 30, 2022 by Harriet Britto · 1 Comment

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    Jump to Recipe

    These spring onion okara pancakes are hearty, healthy, full of flavor and great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. Ready in around 30 minutes, this is sure to become a family favorite.

    A stack of pancakes with spring onions.
    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love This Recipe
    • Cost to Make
    • Ingredients
    • What is Okara?
    • Instructions
    • Recipe Tips
    • Substitutions
    • Serving Size
    • Calories Per Serve
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Variations
    • Meal Prepping
    • Storage
    • Reheating
    • More Easy Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why You Will Love This Recipe

    • Making spring onion okara pancakes is a great way to use the leftover soybean pulp after making homemade soya milk.
    • The batter is quick to prepare and easy to cook. 
    • Made to be eaten with an easy dipping sauce these taste fantastic.
    • They keep well, freeze well and reheat well which means they are great for meal prepping.

    Cost to Make

    Estimated cost = $3.10 or $0.77 per serve or $0.25 a pancake

    Ingredients

    Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

    Image showing ingredients needed to make green onion pancakes.

    Fresh okara - this is the damp soya bean pulp that is left after making soya milk. 

    Eggs - we use large eggs, with an average weight of about 58 grams (2 ounces).

    Flour - use plain white (all-purpose flour).

    Spring onions - flavor these pancakes, but you could also use chives or a mixture of the two.

    Milk - soya milk is used in the recipe, but you can use cow's milk or another plant milk.

    Ginger - gives freshness and an added Asian flavor to the pancakes. Use fresh ginger for the best taste.

    Salt and pepper - are for seasoning - add these to taste.

    What is Okara?

    Okara is a Japanese term for the soya bean pulp leftover after making soy milk or tofu. 

    It is high in fiber, calcium, protein, and other minerals, making it a healthy low-fat ingredient for many sweet and savory foods. 

    Fresh okara is available to buy in Japan, Korea, and China, but not so easy to get elsewhere unless you make soya milk or tofu.

    If you make soya milk at home and want to know more about using okara, we have an informative article on What To Do With Soya Bean Pulp. 

    In the article we show you:

    • How to cook raw okara
    • How to store it
    • How to dry it
    • How to make it a powder
    • and more

    Or, read our What Is Okara? post to learn more about it.

    Instructions

    Dipping Sauce

    Dipping sauce for spring onion okara pancakes.

    Place all the ingredients for the dipping sauce into a small mixing bowl and stir well.

    Leave to stand for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight for the flavors to infuse.

    Pancake Batter

    Eggs, fresh okara and spring onions in a mixing bowl.

    Step 1 - In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs, okara, and spring onions together. 

    Close uo of milk, flour and other ingredients to make okara pancakes.

    Step 2 - Add the flour, milk, and sesame oil.

    Pancake batter.

    Step 3 - Mix to make a thick batter and season with salt and pepper.

    Uncooked pancake in a non stick pan.

    Step 4 - Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium/low heat. Add ½ tablespoon oil and pour in a scant ¼ cup of pancake batter. Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side until the bottom has turned golden brown.

    Flip the pancake and cook on the other side unit it turns golden brown.

    When cooked, transfer the pancake to a plate and continue to cook the remaining pancakes. Stack the cooked pancakes on top of each other and keep them under a clean cloth to keep warm.

    Serve the spring onion okara pancakes with individual bowls of dipping sauce.

    Recipe Tips

    • If the batter seems too thick, add a little more milk.
    • Don't skimp on the spring onions - after cutting the spring onions, you might look at it and think that it is too much, but it is not - it is just right.
    • Use a non-stick pan - not only will this stop the pancakes from sticking to the pan, but you can also reduce the amount of oil needed, making it a lighter and healthier dish.
    • If you are not making the dipping sauce, add a pinch more extra salt to the pancakes. The pancake recipe is underseasoned due to the amount of salt in the soy dipping sauce.
    Close up of three cooked okara pancakes garnished with chives.

    Substitutions

    Not able to get fresh okara or don't want to go to the trouble of making soy milk to get it. You can replace the okara with an equal amount of plain flour to make the pancakes.

    You may have to adjust the consistency of the batter by adding a little more liquid because flour is drier than fresh okara.

    Serving Size

    We have given three pancakes (each made with a scant quarter cup of batter) as a serving size for this recipe, but this will vary depending on your appetite.

    Calories Per Serve

    As a guide and based on 12 okara pancakes made with fresh okara and cooked with very little oil in a non-stick pan, each would be about 115 calories with 6 grams of fat.

    If using plain flour instead of okara, each pancake would be about 150 calories.

    Serving Suggestions

    These savory okara pancakes are very nice with the soy dipping sauce that is listed in the recipe. However, if you don't like soy sauce, Asian sweet chili sauce is just as nice.

    Variations

    Meat-free addition - Give the pancakes added texture and crunch by mixing in roughly chopped pieces of water chestnuts.

    Meat addition - Add roughly chopped pieces of shelled and deveined prawns.

    Meal Prepping

    For easy breakfasts or quick snacks, make these pancakes in advance. They will keep well in the fridge for about 4 days or freeze in small packs for quick defrosting and heating on busy days.

    Storage

    Refrigerator: Store room temperature pancakes in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic in the fridge for about 4 days.

    Freezing: These pancakes freeze well. Make small stacks of pancakes separating each layer with a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in zip lock bags with the air squeezed out. Freeze for 3- 4 months.

    Reheating

    These pancakes reheat very well, and the quickest way is to heat one or two at a time in the microwave for a short time on high.

    We have an 850-watt microwave oven and will microwave them at 15 - 20 seconds intervals until hot.

    Frozen pancakes need thawing before reheating.

    A piece of okara pancake being dipped into dipping sauce.

    More Easy Recipes

    • Vanilla okara pancakes
    • Chocolate chip okara pancakes
    • Banana okara pancakes

    See all recipes using okara.

    If you have tried this or any other of my recipes, don't forget to come back and rate the recipe and leave a comment below, because I love hearing from you!

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    Recipe

    Okara Pancakes With Spring Onions

    These spring onion okara pancakes are delicious and easy to make and a wonderful way to use leftover okara (soybean pulp). Loaded with flavor these okara pancakes are healthy and filling.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    ESTIMATED COST : $3.10 or $0.77 per serve or $0.25 a pancake
    Course Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine Asian
    Servings 4 - makes 12 x 10 cm (4 inches) pancakes.
    Calories 345 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Dipping sauce

    • 1/16 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 garlic clove minced
    • ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 tablespoon hot water
    • 1 ½ tablespoon Japanese soya sauce
    • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
    • ¼ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
    • ⅛ teaspoon brown sugar
    • ½ small red chili finely sliced
    • ½ teaspoon chives or green onion finely sliced

    Pancakes

    • 3 large eggs
    • 150 grams (5.35 ounces) of fresh okara
    • 60 grams (2.3 ounces / ¾ cup) of spring onions (green onions) finely chopped
    • 150 grams (5.35 ounces/ 1 slightly heaped cup) plain flour / all-purpose flour
    • 150 mls (150 grams / 5.3 ounces / scan ¾ cup) unsweetened soya milk can use other milk
    • 1½ teaspoon sesame oil
    • 1 ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
    • ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
    • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • 6 tablespoons oil for cooking
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    Dipping sauce (can be made a day ahead)

    • Place the garlic and onion powders into a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of hot water and mix to dissolve.
    • Then add the remaining water, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger, sugar, chili (if using), and chives, and mix well.
    • Leave to stand for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight for the flavors to infuse.

    Pancakes

    • In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs, okara, and spring onions together. Mix in the flour, milk, and sesame oil to make a thick batter season with salt and pepper.
    • Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium/low heat. Add ½ tablespoon oil and pour in a ¼ cup of pancake batter.
    • Cook for 4-5 minutes on one until side the bottom has turned golden brown.
    • Flip the pancake and cook on the other side unit it turns golden brown.
    • When cooked transfer the pancake to a plate and continue to cook the remaining pancakes. Stack the cooked pancakes on top of each other and keep them under a clean cloth to keep warm.
    • Serve with individual bowls of dipping sauce.

    Notes

    Makes 12 x 10 cm (4 inches) pancakes (¼ cup of batter per pancake).
     
    SERVING SIZE
    We have given three pancakes (each made with a scant quarter cup of batter) as a serving size for this recipe, but this will vary depending on your appetite.
     
    TIPS FOR SUCCESS
    • If the batter seems too thick, add a little more milk.
    • Don't skimp on the spring onions - after cutting the spring onions, you might look at it and think that it is too much, but it is not - it just right.
    • Use a non-stick pan - not only will this stop the pancakes from sticking to the pan, but you can also reduce the amount of oil needed, making it a lighter and healthier dish.
    • If you are not making the dipping sauce, add a pinch more extra salt to the pancakes. The pancake recipe is underseasoned due to the amount of salt in the soy dipping sauce.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Okara Pancakes With Spring Onions
    Serving Size
     
    1 serve is 3 pancakes, each made with ¼ cup batter, does not include dipping sauce
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    345
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    18
    g
    28
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    19
    %
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    9
    g
    Trans Fat
     
    0
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    140
    mg
    47
    %
    Sodium
     
    496
    mg
    22
    %
    Potassium
     
    213
    mg
    6
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    35
    g
    12
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    1
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    11
    g
    22
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jay

      June 12, 2022 at 9:04 am

      5 stars
      I've never cooked with okara before, but this time after making my soya milk decided to do so. I was so surprised, that I could not even taste it in the pancakes. Will definitely be making this again.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Harriet! I am the face behind Soya Eats. I, with my small family team, test, photograph, and create the best possible soya recipes just for you.

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