TAKOYAKI IS THE PERFECT SNACK
Takoyaki Tips
- Make the batter before hand. It can hangout in the fridge overnight even and all you need to do is give it a good stir every time you fill the takoyaki holes.
- Don’t skimp out on the oil. You need it to help crisp up the outside layer and make it easier to flip the balls.
- Use a lot of batter and top it up. When you watch professional takoyaki vendors, you’ll notice that they almost over fill the little holes, let the batter cook, then break everything up with skewers and stuff the excess back into the takoyaki ball. This makes the balls nice and round. You can also fill the holes halfway, put the fillings in, then, after the first turn, add a bit more batter to fill the ball out.
- Move the balls around. After all the balls are form and lightly grilled, feel free to move them around the pan. Home takoyaki pans tend to be uneven, so switching up the positions of the balls helps with even browning and crisping.
Ingredients
Batter
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 1/4 cups cold water
- 2 teaspoons dashi stock granules
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, about 300g
Filling
- cubes of boiled octopus
- sliced green onions
- tempura bits or rice krispies
- shredded or cubed cheese, if desired
Toppings
- Japanese kewpie mayonaise
- Takoyaki sauce (you can buy this in a bottle at most Asian groceries, it usually has a picture of takoyaki on the front)
- bonito flakes
- aonori (powdered seaweed) or seaweed strips
Beat the eggs and add the water, and stock granules. Add the egg-water mixture to the flour and salt and mix well.
Heat up your pan and oil the individual compartments with a oil brush or use a paper towel dipped in oil.
When the pan is hot, pour the batter into the individual compartments up to the top. Don’t worry if the batter over flows a bit. Add green onions, your protein, tempura bits or rice krispies, and shredded cheese (is using).
After a while, the bottom of the takoyakis will be cooked through. At this point, you can use a skewer to turn them over 90 degrees. If you can’t turn the takoyaki easily, it probably needs to cook for a bit longer. If needed, add a bit more batter to the balls to fill them up. Let cook for a minute or so and then do another 90 degree turn. The balls will become easier to turn the more they cook.
The takoyaki are done when they’re lightly brown and crispy on the outside and they turn easily in their holes. Overall I’d say it takes about 10-15 minutes per batch, from start to finish, depending on how crispy or soft you like your takoyaki.
To serve, place the takoyaki on a plate and drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce. Genrously sprinkle on the bonito flakes and aonori. Enjoy, but be careful, the insides are hot!
