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Takoyaki

Recipe by Connie Veneracion
A Japanese street food associated with Osaka, takoyaki (octopus balls) is rich in texture and flavor. Make takoyaki at home with this easy to follow and fully illustrated recipe.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 24 balls
Takoyaki in green plate

Equipment

  • Takoyaki pan

Ingredients
  

Takoyaki sauce

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sake
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon grated garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon grated ginger

Takoyaki filling

  • ½ cup chopped cooked octopus (see notes after the recipe)
  • 2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
  • 2 tablespoons chopped beni shoga (pickled red ginger) (see notes after the recipe)
  • ½ cup tenkasu (tempura scraps) (see notes after the recipe)

Takoyaki batter

To serve the takoyaki

  • Japanese mayonnaise
  • katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
  • aonori (dried green seaweed)

Instructions
 

  • Make the takoyaki sauce before you start cooking so that it is ready to be drizzled once the takoyaki is done.
    Takpyaki sauce
  • Have all the ingredients for the filling ready before mixing the batter.
    Takopyaki ingredients: cooked octopus, pickled red ginger, scallions, tempura scraps and dashi-flavored batter
  • To make the batter, simply stir all the ingredients together. To make pouring easier and less messy, pour the batter into a container with a spout.
  • Heat the takoyaki pan and moisten each mold with cooking oil.
    Takpyaki pan
  • When the oil begins to sizzle, fill the molds with batter. It is quite okay if the batter overflows from the molds a little.
    Pouring batter into takoyaki pan
  • Scatter chopped octopus, scallions, pickled red ginger and tempura scraps directly on the batter.
    Sprinkling octopus, scallions, pickled red ginger on takoyaki batter
  • Let the batter cook for a few minutes to firm up the bottom.
  • Using bamboo skewers (or use chopsticks), cut through the batter (where it has overflowed) to separate the still unformed balls.
    Using bamboo skewer to separate takoyaki in pan
  • Carefully lift the wet balls and turn slightly (do not flip to invert!). As you turn, gather the excess batter around each mold and tuck in.
    Turning takoyaki using bamboo skewer
  • Repeat the turning process every minute or so to brown every inch of the surface of the balls.
    Partially cooked takoyaki
  • The takoyaki is done when the balls are uniformly browned.
    Takoyaki in pan
  • Transfer the takoyaki to a plate. Drizzle the sauce and Japanese mayo over the balls. Sprinkle with aonori and bonito flakes, and serve while very hot.
Keyword Octopus, Street Food