Takoyaki
Octopus batter balls
たこ焼き: Osaka's crisp batter balls with octopus, sauce and bonito flakes
JapaneseWalk through Dotonbori in Osaka on any evening and you'll see cooks flicking dozens of batter balls around a cast-iron plate with metal picks. Stalls in the city have sold them since the 1930s, and they turn up at every summer festival, eaten from a paper boat with a cocktail stick. The outside is crisp, the inside almost molten, with a chewy piece of octopus at the centre. You need a takoyaki pan, either a stovetop cast-iron one or an electric plate. Chef's tip: fill the cups right to the top and let the batter flood across the whole plate, as the overflow is what you fold in to make each ball round.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
- 4 oz plain flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups dashi stock, cold
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp salt
For the filling
- 4 oz cooked octopus tentaclecut into 1 cm pieces
- 3 spring onionsfinely chopped
- 4 tbsp tempura scraps (tenkasu)
- 2 tbsp red pickled ginger (beni shoga)finely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
To serve
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Whisk 4 oz plain flour, 2 eggs, 2 cups dashi stock, cold, 1 tsp soy sauce and ¼ tsp salt into a thin, smooth batter, like single cream. Pour it into a jug and leave to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
10 minStep 2: Use ready-boiled 4 oz cooked octopus tentacle, which only needs heating through. If yours is raw, simmer it for 45–60 minutes until a skewer slides easily into the thickest part, then cool and chop.
Step 3: Heat the takoyaki pan over a medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes. Brush every cup and the flat areas generously with 2 tbsp vegetable oil; it should shimmer.
4 minStep 4: Pour in the batter so it fills each cup to the brim and spills over the whole plate. Drop a piece of octopus into each cup, then scatter 3 spring onions, 4 tbsp tempura scraps (tenkasu) and 2 tbsp red pickled ginger (beni shoga) evenly over everything.
1 minStep 5: Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the bottoms of the balls are set and lightly golden. Common mistake: trying to turn them too soon. If the base isn't set, the ball tears; wait until a pick lifts the edge easily.
3 minStep 6: Using a skewer, cut along the grid lines between cups, then turn each ball 90 degrees, tucking the loose batter from around it into the cup. The raw batter runs down and forms the other half of the ball.
3 minStep 7: Keep turning the balls every minute or so for 6–8 minutes, until round, evenly golden-brown and crisp all over. Brush with a little more oil if they stick. Lift them out onto plates and repeat with any remaining batter.
8 minStep 8: Brush or drizzle with 4 tbsp takoyaki or okonomiyaki sauce, zigzag with 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise and sprinkle with 1 tsp aonori (green seaweed flakes) and ⅛ oz bonito flakes (katsuobushi), which will dance in the heat. Warn everyone: the centres stay scalding hot for a few minutes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does takoyaki take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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