Welcome to our March 2024 JOC Cooking Challenge!

As we enter the third month of the year, it’s time for our first Cooking Challenge of the year. This is our third year hosting this fun contest, and we are super excited to be cooking Japanese dishes with you. This month, we are making an iconic Japanese street food that is well-loved by all ages. I hope you’ll join us and consider this your March bucket list!
This Month’s Recipe Challenge: Okonomiyaki
The recipe for this challenge is Okonomiyaki, the popular Japanese savory pancake. My okonomiyaki recipe has been on Just One Cookbook since March 2, 2011—and that’s 13 years!!!!!
This year, we reshot all the images (step-by-step and final pictures) and recreated the video. Just in time for this cooking challenge! I encourage you to check out the recipe, watch the video, and join us in making YOUR Okonomiyaki. This recipe is highly customizable, so you can decide what to use based on my suggestions.
If you’re vegan/vegetarian or gluten-free, please read the post for my substitution tips.
Please take time to read the entire post and recipe first before you head to the kitchen!
If you have any recipe questions, please leave them in the comment section of the recipe post. If it’s related to the cooking challenge rules, please leave your comment below. We’re ready to help!

The Prizes!
This contest is open to everyone worldwide. We will randomly select 3 winners at the end of the challenge using random.org. Each winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card.
Everyone who has completed submission for the JOC Cooking Challenge is automatically entered into the prize draw.
Please note that we will NOT select winners based on the creations, but you need to make sure your submission meets the scope of the recipe.
How to Join the JOC Cooking Challenge
Make Okonomiyaki and follow the recipe as closely as possible so your final dish will look similar to mine. For the vegan/vegetarian option, please read the blog post for substitutions and variations.
*Please note that the submission rule has changed this year.*
To enter for your chance to win the prize (only one entry per person), please complete the following two steps.
- Email us your picture: Send one picture of your final dish via email (contest@justonecookbook.com) before 12 pm PST on March 31, 2024.
- Leave a (honest) star rating on the Okonomiyaki recipe post: Use the same email address as your photo submission. We’d love to hear about your feedback, fun cooking moments, kitchen mishaps, or difficulties that you come across during the process. We understand it’s an additional step and we appreciate your feedback.
Make sure to follow these two steps to complete your submission!
Feel free to share your picture on social media using the #JOCcookingchallenge hashtag.
JOC Cooking Challenge March 2024 Winners
- Adrienne L
- Linda W
- Patricia
Congratulations! We contacted the winners via email.
Readers’ Recipe Submissions (103 Entries)









Past Cooking Challenges & Recipes
This is a quarterly online event on Just One Cookbook. We host the challenge in March, June, September, and December. We’d love for you to join us in each challenge! To receive the updates, be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
- March 2022 – Mosaic Sushi
- June/July 2022 – Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread)
- September 2022 – Shio Ramen
- December 2022 – Purin (Japanese Custard Pudding)
- March 2023 – The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House
- June/July 2023 – Shoyu Ramen
- September 2023 – Cook for Maui (choose one recipe)
- December 2023 – Chocolate Gateau
- March 2024 – Okonomiyaki
I found nagaimo at H-Mart and bought a piece to try to make this. In the past I’ve used the powder mix or other recipes without nagaimo. The nagaimo made such a difference. I’m a fan now! Thank you for the detailed recipe. I forgot to include the egg, oops, but it didn’t need it which made it vegan since I used vegan dashi, mushrooms, and grated carrots. Thank you for the recipe and pictures.
Hi, Erin! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed Nami’s Okonomiyaki recipe!
Just in case…., If you are participating in the cooking challenge, don’t forget to leave a comment on the recipe page.😉
So I invested since last year in buying cabbage as I love the crunch. For me I love okonomiyaki with onion, the little extra crunch goes a long way. I made some last year with an okomiyaki mix I bought on Amazon along with the sauce. This time I improvised on the sauce a bit but it came out similar enough.
Hi, Natalya! Thank you for taking part in our cooking challenge!
We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the dish!
I was just thinking about this yesterday when I was making home-made potstickers last night. I’ve always wanted to try this recipe after watching the Korean movie, “Little Forest.” So, thank you so much for this recipe! Just looking at your creation is making my mouth water and it’s not even lunch time yet.
Aww, thank you for your kind feedback. I hope you make this recipe and join this month’s cooking challenge! We’ll wait for your entry! And… yum, homemade potstickers!