‘Takoyaki’, a ball-shaped savoury snack, is one of the dishes that most foreign tourists try to eat in Japan. To make ‘Takoyaki’, you need a ‘Takoyaki’ pan. Do not give up if you don’t have one, I heard that Cake Pop Maker or Mini Pancake Pan are just fine for making ‘Takoyaki’. It doesn’t matter if they are not perfectly ball-shape. Just enjoy making them.

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Makes

About 30 balls

Ingredients

Plain Flour 1 cup
Dashi Stock 1 & 1/2 cups (Or Water 1 & 1/2 cups and Dashi Powder 1/4 teaspoon)
Egg 1
Soy Sauce 1 tablespoon
Cooked Octopus *or Prawns, Squid, Ham, Bacon, Cheese, Corn, etc.
Spring Onion OR Cabbage 1/2 cup *finely chopped
Red Or Pink Pickled Ginger *optional

Toppings

Takoyaki Sauce OR Okonomiyaki Sauce OR Tonkatsu Sauce
Aonori (Dried Green Seaweed)
Pickled Ginger
Japanese Mayonnaise
Katsuobushi

Method

1. Cut the cooked Octopus into bite size pieces. Octopus is hard to find for me, so I often use cooked Prawns or Squid.
2. Place Plain Flour, Dashi Stock, Egg and Soy Sauce in a mixing bowl and mix well. If you have a measuring cup or jag with a handle, pour the batter in them first so that it’s easier to pour the batter onto the pan.
3. Heat the pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, using a brush, oil the pan quite generously and lower the heat to medium to low.
4. Pour the batter to fill the bowls of the pan. Add 1-2 Octopus pieces in each hole and sprinkle on the Spring Onion and Pickled Ginger. Pour a little bit more batter over.
5. When the bottom of the balls is hardened enough, turn each piece over. The batter flows out from the inside of each bowl and creates the other side of the ball. Flip the ball occasionally to cook evenly.
6. When outside is golden, transfer Takoyaki balls onto a plate and pour Takoyaki Sauce, and other toppings. Serve immediately.