Takoyaki Octopus Balls Recipes

TAKOYAKI (JAPANESE OCTOPUS BALLS)

Steps:

• Heat the water at least 100 °F and no more than 110 °F, then add the dashi powder and stir until it's completely dissolved. Add the eggs and soy sauce into the dashi and whisk until it's combined.
• In a bowl combine the all-purpose flour, rice flour, and baking soda. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until there are no more lumps.
• Add the batter into a squeeze bottle if you prefer. This can make adding batter to the pan cleaner, without dripping.
• Preheat the takoyaki pan over the stove on medium heat. Brush on some vegetable oil on each dip in the pan.
• Pour the batter into each dip at about 80% of the way up-do not add too much because it will expand.
• Cook for about one or two minutes, or until the batter begins to slightly bubble. This will ensure the fillings stay in the center and don't sink to the bottom. Add a little bit of each of the fillings into each takoyaki.
• After you've filled each ball, go to the first takoyaki and use the takoyaki stick to release it from the sides to turn the ball in ¾ of the way around. Leave a little opening (about 1/8 inch) in the takoyaki so it is not completely covered. This is the opening where you will later fill in with more crispy, cooked batter.
• Pour more batter over the entire pan and into the opened spaces and continue to cook until the batter bubbles. Carefully watch the takoyaki at this time, adjusting the heat if it's burning too hot or too low. You want to give enough time for the batter to cook all the way through without burning.
• Use the takoyaki stick to begin to turn the takoyaki around when the batter bubbles. Use the stick to move the batter around the edges of each semi-circle and fold them into each takoyaki ball as you are turning them.
• Cook the balls until each are golden brown and crispy on the edges. All the takoyaki should measure at 200 °F internally.
• Remove the balls with the stick and top them with takoyaki sauce, sprinkle aonori, squeeze some mayonnaise, add some seaweed strips, and bonito flakes on top. Serve immediately.

TAKOYAKI (JAPANESE FRIED OCTOPUS BALLS)

Steps:

• First, make the sauce by pouring 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tbsp tsuyu sauce, 1/2 tbsp ketchup and 1 tbsp of honey in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside for later.
• Next, take a mixing bowl, pour in 500ml of dashi and crack in one egg. Whisk well.
• Once it's whisked together, add 1 tsp of tsuyu sauce.
• Add 100g of cake flour (no need to sift) and whisk well until smooth.
• Cut octopus into small pieces (approx 1 inch / 2.5cm) and finely chop the benishoga.
• Heat up the takoyaki pan and generously coat the mold with sesame oil. (I recommend using a brush. If you don't have one, spread the oil using kitchen paper.)
• Once the takoyaki pan is smoking, pour the batter into the mold, filling it half way.
• Add the octopus pieces to each slot and then pour more of the batter over the top, making sure the surface is completely covered. (Even the surface around the slots.)
• Sprinkle the chopped spring onion, tenkasu and benishoga generously over the top of the wet batter and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Using wooden chopsticks or a long bamboo skewer, draw lines between the slots to evenly divide the batter on the surface around each takoyaki.
• Roll the takoyaki once by scraping the bamboo skewer around the edge of the slot and in a circular motion with your wrist. It's okay if the shape is still messy at this point.
• Leave to cook for a few minutes.
• Roll the takoyaki again, tucking any messy parts into the bottom to shape it nicely. After the second roll it should already be more or less round.
• Once your takoyaki is round enough, brush with another layer of sesame oil and keep rolling the takoyaki one by one.
• Swap the placement of any white takoyaki with the more golden ones to ensure even cooking.
• Once the outside looks golden and crisp, remove the takoyaki from the pan. (The middle is still usually a bit runny, this is normal and you don't need to cook it until it's firm all the way through.)
• Place on a plate and brush the takoyaki with sauce, drizzle with mayonnaise and sprinkle with aonori, katsuobushi and chopped spring onion.
• Repeat until the ingredients are finished.
• Enjoy!

TAKOYAKI ("OCTOPUS BALLS")

Steps:

• Warm up iron plate and oil the surface.
• Put the batter into half of hole.
• Then put octopus and other fillings into the hole.
• Add the batter full.
• When batter on the edge of the molds become cooked, turn over takoyaki with pick.
• When batter browns turn over to form balls. Continue to heat while turning it over and over until balls become evenly browned and well cooked inside.
• Serve on plate, top with sauce, powdered dried bonito and aonori to taste desired.