Takoyaki
Published Jan. 10, 2024
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1teaspoon/3 grams dashi powder
- 2large eggs
- 1teaspoon soy sauce
- 1cup/120 grams all-purpose flour
- 2teaspoons baking powder
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- Vegetable oil or nonstick spray, as needed
- 4 to 5ounces cooked octopus, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2tablespoons/1½ grams dried bonito flakes, ground to fine powder, plus more large flakes for serving
- ¼cup/15 grams tenkasu (tempura scraps)
- 3scallions, thinly sliced, set ⅓ aside for serving
- 2tablespoons chopped pickled red ginger, plus more for serving
- Takoyaki sauce, for serving
- Kewpie mayonnaise, for serving
- Aonori (dried crushed green seaweed), for serving (optional)
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Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare the dashi: In a medium, heat-proof bowl, combine the dashi powder with 2 cups of boiling water. Stir until the powder dissolves and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- Step 2
Make the batter: Once the dashi has cooled for 15 minutes, add the eggs and soy sauce to the bowl and whisk until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until well combined. Using a fine-mesh sieve and a spatula, strain the batter into a (2-cup) glass measuring cup with a pouring spout. (Alternatively, you can use a ladle to pour the batter.)
- Step 3
Heat the takoyaki maker according to instructions. (If using a takoyaki pan on the stove, heat on medium-high.) Brush or spray each hole and the entire top plate generously with oil. When the oil begins to smoke, stir the batter to incorporate again, and slowly pour into each hole, filling them to the top. It’s OK if some batter spills onto the takoyaki maker’s plate.
- Step 4
Place 2 to 3 pieces (depending on the size of the takoyaki maker) of octopus in each hole. Sprinkle on some of the ground bonito flakes, tenkasu, scallions and pickled red ginger. The batter will spill over and that’s OK. Cook until the bottoms of the takoyaki start to set and are slightly brown, adjusting the heat as necessary, about 4 minutes.
- Step 5
Using the takoyaki skewers or chopsticks, break the spilled batter covering the plate and connecting the takoyaki, and flip them 90 degrees, while tucking the spilled parts into themselves. The takoyaki will be half cooked. Fill with a little more batter and cook for 4 minutes.
- Step 6
Break any spilled batter as above, tucking it into the takoyaki, and flip 90 degrees again. Brush the top of the takoyaki with more oil, and cook for about 4 minutes, until browned and crisp on the outside. As they cook, continue flipping until evenly brown; the takoyaki will eventually form into spheres. (Check to make sure the takoyaki maker is evenly browning across the chambers; if one side is browning faster, remove the browned takoyaki and move the remaining to the other chambers until they’re ready.) Remove the takoyaki to a platter and use any leftover batter and fillings to cook additional takoyaki.
- Step 7
Drizzle the takoyaki with takoyaki sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise, and top with bonito flakes, remaining scallions, pickled ginger and aonori, if using. Takoyaki is best served right away — just be mindful that the insides are hot.
- Both electric takoyaki makers and stovetop takoyaki pans can be found at Japanese markets and online. A Danish ebelskiver pan can also be used. This recipe makes 18 (1½-inch) takoyaki at a time; if using a different size pan, adjust frying times accordingly.
Private Notes
Comments
Making takoyaki is both an art and a test of dexterity. This article is amazing for its valiant attempt to teach making takoyaki solely by text. It's a little like trying to learn neurosurgery solely from a book. I recommend studying some on-line videos -- just search the web for "how to make takoyaki." Practice makes perfect. Don't get discouraged. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find them fun to make, wonderful to eat, and serving them will make your amateur chef creds glisten.
For real: homemade dashi is really easy to make and the takoyaki are 1000% better. If you can get a hold of instant dashi, you'll be able to get kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (dried, shaved bonito), which is all you'll need.
Having lived in Japan for 30 years, and being married to someone from Osaka, I can say this is a solid takoyaki recipe. For those not interested in tako, you could substitute a piece of mochi or cheese. Spam is stretching it though (unless you're from Hawaii).
Would ebelskiver pans work? Seems like a similar technique.
It says in the notes that you can use an ebelskiver pan.
I’m about as likely to make something with octopus as I am to use a dog as an ingredient after seeing My Octopus Teacher.
I'm not sure why this recipe has such low ratings. The base recipe ratios are comparable to other recipes, and it includes all of the essential base components. From a cooking process perspective, you have to trust the process. Personally, I like filling the pan more than I think it can take (you can do this after the first rotation if preferred). The takoyaki can take a good amount of filling to be round and substantial. Underfilled takoyaki will still puff up to be round but may be smaller.
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