TAKOYAKI RECIPE (OCTOPUS BALLS)

The majority of international visitors to Japan attempt to consume "takoyaki," a ball-shaped savory snack. You need a Takoyaki pan to prepare Takoyaki. If you don't have one, don't give up; I've heard that a Cake Pop Maker or a Mini Pancake Pan will work just as well to make "Takoyaki." It makes no difference if they are not precisely shaped like balls. Just have fun creating them.

The first takoyaki were made in Osaka by a street hawker named Aizu-ya. Aizu-ya used to serve a beef-filled ball in place of octopus. However, a client who had eaten a meat ball from Aizu-ya in 1935 mumbled, "Is it beef inside in the Osaka balls?" In Akashi, it's an octopus. The local specialty meal known as Akashi-yaki, consisting of octopus-filled egg balls that are dipped in dashi stock before consumption, is popular in the city of Akashi in the prefecture of Hyogo.

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Ingredients

1 cup plain flour

1 and a half cups of dashi stock (or 1 and a half cups of water and 1/4 teaspoon of dashi powder)

Egg 1

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

Octopus cooked* or shrimp, squid, ham, bacon, cheese, corn, etc.

Cabbage OR Spring Onion, 1/2 cup, coarsely chopped

Pickled Ginger, either red or pink, optional

Toppings

Takoyaki Sauce OR Okonomiyaki Sauce OR Tonkatsu Sauce

Aonori (Dried Green Seaweed)

Pickled Ginger

Japanese Mayonnaise

Katsuobushi

Special Equipment

Takoyaki Pan

Instructions :

1. The cooked octopus should be cut into bite-sized pieces. Since I have trouble finding octopus, I frequently substitute grilled prawns or squid.

2.Add the water and stock granules after beating the eggs. Mix well the flour and salt with the egg-water-dashi combination. Warm up your pan, then use an oil brush or a paper towel dipped in oil to oil each compartment.

3.Pour the batter into each chamber to the top once the pan is hot. If the batter slightly overflows, don't panic.

4. Add your protein, shredded cheese, green onions, tempura bits, and rice krispies (if using).

5. The bottom of the takoyaki will eventually be completely cooked. You can now turn them over 90 degrees with the help of a few skewers. Takoyaki generally needs to cook for a little longer if you can't readily turn it. The batter can be increased to fill the balls if necessary. After about a minute, give it another 90 degree turn. The more they cook, the easier it will be to turn the balls.

6. When the takoyaki are crisp and gently browned on the exterior and turn readily in their holes, they are ready. Depending on how crispy or soft you like your takoyaki, it generally takes about 10-15 minutes per batch to complete.

7. To serve, arrange the takoyaki on a platter and top with takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. Sprinkle the aonori and bonito flakes on liberally. Enjoy, but use caution—the interiors are hot!