Takoyaki (Japanese Octopus Balls)

 Takoyaki

Takoyaki are crispy on the-outside, soft on the inside Japanese street food balls filled with tender octopus. Savory, umami rich, and irresistibly fun to eat.

Cook Time15 minutes

Total Time minutes

35 minutes

CourseStreet Food / Snack

Servings4

Ingredients

Batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups dashi stock
• 2 eggs

Filling

• 200 g cooked octopus, finely diced
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• ¼ cup tenkasu (tempura bits)
• Pickled ginger (beni shoga), chopped

For Cooking

• Vegetable oil

Toppings

• Takoyaki sauce
• Japanese mayonnaise
• Aonori (seaweed flakes)
• Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)

Instructions

Make batter

• Whisk flour, dashi, and eggs until smooth.

Heat pan

• Heat takoyaki pan over medium heat.
• Brush each mold generously with oil.

Fill molds

• Pour batter into molds, slightly overflowing.
• Add octopus, green onion, tenkasu, and ginger.

Turn

• As batter sets, use skewers to turn balls 90°.
• Continue turning until round and golden.

Cook

• Cook 12–15 minutes, turning constantly until crispy outside.

Serve

• Drizzle with sauce and mayo.
• Sprinkle aonori and bonito flakes.
• Serve hot.

Small Notes :

• Batter should be thin for soft centers.
• Don’t be afraid of overflow it helps shaping.
• Keep pan well oiled.
• Eat immediately while hot.