What are takoyaki?
Tako means octopus, yaki means fried or grilled. Takoyaki have been around in Osaka since the 1930s. Today, stalls sell them at festivals and in shopping streets all over Japan, usually six or eight in a tray. They are topped with a sweet and savory sauce, mayonnaise, aonori, and bonito flakes that sway in the rising heat.
The right ingredients
- Takoyaki flour: The ready-made mix from an Asian grocery store contains wheat flour, leavening, and often dashi seasoning. As a substitute, use 200 g all-purpose flour with 2 tsp baking powder and 2 tsp dashi powder. You can read what is in dashi under dashi and dashi powder.
- Octopus: Buy cooked octopus, frozen at an Asian grocery store or at the fish counter, and cut it into cubes of 1 to 1.5 cm. Shrimp, squid, or sausage work too.
- Tenkasu: Crispy tempura crumbs that lighten the inside. You can buy them ready-made in a bag. Fried onions are a decent substitute.
- Toppings: Takoyaki or okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, aonori, and katsuobushi. You can also whisk the mayo yourself: Kewpie mayo.
How to make great takoyaki: the key steps
Hot pan, well greased
Preheat the takoyaki pan over medium-high heat and brush every mold and the ridges between them thickly with oil. With too little oil, the balls tear when you turn them.
Fill to the brim
Pour in the thin batter so it fills the molds and runs over the edges. Then put a piece of octopus in each mold and scatter scallions, tenkasu, and cheese over the whole surface. You fold the overflowing batter into the ball later.
Turn in two steps
After 2 to 3 minutes, the bottom is set. Run a wooden skewer around each mold, separate the batter at the boundaries, and turn each ball by 90 degrees. Tuck the extra batter into the mold as you go. After another minute, flip it all the way over. Then turn them every 30 seconds until the balls are round and brown all over, 8 to 10 minutes in total.
Common mistakes
- Batter too thick: Takoyaki batter is much thinner than pancake batter. Thick batter gives dry, dense balls.
- Turned too early: If the bottom is still liquid, the ball tears. Wait until the edge comes loose with the skewer.
- Molds only half filled: The balls come out small and with holes.
- Bitten into right away: Takoyaki stay hot inside for a long time. Let them rest for a minute.
Variations
Instead of octopus, shrimp, sausage, corn, or kimchi work. If you have no takoyaki sauce, stir together 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp sugar. A similar mix is in the tonkatsu sauce, which you can also pour over them.
What to serve with it
Takoyaki are street food and party food. With an electric takoyaki plate on the table, your guests cook their own balls. If you like the flavor, try Osaka-style okonomiyaki, which comes to the plate with the same toppings. Edamame and karaage make good extra snacks.
