Takoyaki (Octopus Balls) 🐙 Japanese Street Snack 🇯🇵

Description

Crispy on the outside, custardy inside—savory batter spheres studded with octopus, scallions, and pickled ginger, finished with glossy sauces. 🥢

Hook
Sizzle, flip, and devour—Osaka’s most fun bite in one pan! 🔥

Ingredients

• Batter
• 🌾 All-purpose flour: 150 g (1¼ cups / 5.3 oz)
• 🍶 Dashi: 450 ml (1¾ cups / 15 fl oz)
• 🥚 Egg: 1 large, ~50 g (1.8 oz)
• 🧪 Baking powder: 2 g (½ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🍶 Soy sauce: 10 ml (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• 🧂 Fine salt: 1 g (¼ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• Filling
• 🐙 Cooked octopus, 1 cm dice: 150 g (5.3 oz) (or small shrimp)
• 🥢 Tenkasu (tempura crumbs): 30 g (½ cup / 1.1 oz)
• 🌺 Beni shoga (red pickled ginger), chopped: 20 g (2 tbsp / 0.7 oz)
• 🧅 Scallions, thinly sliced: 30 g (¼ cup / 1.1 oz)
• For the pan
• 🛢️ Neutral oil: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz) + extra for greasing molds
• Toppings
• 🍯 Takoyaki sauce: 60 ml (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🥚 Japanese mayo: 60 ml (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🌿 Aonori: 2 g (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🐟 Katsuobushi: 4 g (2 tbsp / 0.14 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Heat & grease the pan: Brush molds generously with oil and heat to 200–210°C (392–410°F) over medium-high heat.
2. 2️⃣ Make the batter: Whisk dashi and egg, then whisk in flour, baking powder, soy sauce, and salt just until smooth. Batter should be thin (pancake-like).
3. 3️⃣ Fill the molds: Pour batter to the brim (let it overflow slightly). Add octopus, tenkasu, ginger, and scallions to each mold.
4. 4️⃣ First cook: Fry 3–4 min until edges set and bottoms are golden.
5. 5️⃣ Form the balls: Use a pick/skewer to turn each piece 90°, tucking in overflow; keep rotating to form spheres.
6. 6️⃣ Finish cooking: Continue 2–3 min more to deep golden—exterior crisp, center creamy.
7. 7️⃣ Top & serve: Drizzle with takoyaki sauce and mayo; sprinkle aonori and katsuobushi. Serve hot.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook: 7–8 min per batch
⏰ Total: 25–30 min

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