Takoyaki

Name: Takoyaki
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 200g All-purpose Flour; 650ml Dashi, kombu-katsuobushi stock, cooled; 2 large Eggs; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Soy Sauce, preferably light/usukuchi; 250g Octopus Tentacles, boiled, cut into 1 cm cubes (tako); 30g Tenkasu, tempura bits; 2 tbsp Beni Shoga, red pickled ginger, finely chopped; 2 Spring Onions, scallions, finely sliced; 6 tbsp Takoyaki Sauce, or okonomiyaki sauce; 6 tbsp Japanese Mayonnaise; 1 tbsp Aonori, dried green seaweed flakes; 2g Katsuobushi, bonito flakes; Some Neutral Oil, for greasing the takoyaki pan; Some Beni Shoga, to taste

Takoyaki are golden, crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside Japanese octopus balls — a fun street-food favorite. Each bite combines chewy octopus, crunchy tenkasu and zingy beni shoga, finished with rich takoyaki sauce, creamy mayonnaise, a dusting of aonori and fluttering katsuobushi for smoky aroma.

Takoyaki are golden, crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside Japanese octopus balls — a fun street-food favorite. Each bite com... Show more

Traditional Japanese Recipe

Health Grade

B · Healthy

Rating

4.3

Time

50 min

Price

2,29 €

Calories

508 kcal

low calorie

nutritious

low sugar

comfort food

Method

Prep the filling

Cut the Octopus tentacles into 1 cm cubes; if they are still raw, simmer them gently first until tender, then drain and cool. Finely chop the Beni shoga and slice the Spring onions thinly so the filling is ready when the pan is hot.

Mix the batter

In a large bowl, whisk the All-purpose Flour, Dashi, Eggs, Salt, and Soy Sauce until the batter is smooth and very thin, almost like heavy cream. Let it rest for 10 minutes so the flour hydrates and the takoyaki cooks up tender.

Heat the pan

Set a takoyaki pan over medium heat and brush every cavity and the flat surface with Neutral Oil. Keep the oil nearby, because you will want to recoat the pan between batches.

Cook the takoyaki

Working in batches if needed, pour batter into each well until it is full and spilling a little onto the surface, then tuck a cube of octopus, a pinch of Tenkasu, a little beni shoga, and some spring onion into each cavity. Cook for 2 minutes, until the edges set but the centers are still soft. Use chopsticks or a skewer to break the connected batter between the wells and turn each piece about 90 degrees, then keep rotating and tucking the extra batter underneath as the balls cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, until they are round, crisp, and deep golden all over.

Finish and serve

Transfer the takoyaki to plates while they are still hot. Drizzle with Takoyaki Sauce and Japanese Mayonnaise, then shower with Aonori and Katsuobushi. Finish with a little extra beni shoga if you like a sharper bite, and serve immediately.