Takoyaki is Osaka’s signature street food. These small, savory pancake balls filled with octopus (“tako” in Japanese) are a favorite among both locals and tourists. It’s impossible to walk through Soe Mon Cho or Dotonbori Street in the evening without holding a small carton filled with six steaming takoyaki balls.
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Ingredients
- A handful of cooked octopus pieces (about 120 g)
- 120 g wheat flour
- 1/2 packet of baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp pickled red ginger
- 2 eggs
- 2 green onions (scallions)
- 360 ml dashi (Japanese broth powder diluted)
- Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie)
- Otafuku takoyaki or okonomiyaki sauce
- Aonori (powdered seaweed)
- Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
Instructions
- Finely chop the green onions and red ginger. Crush 4 g of dried bonito and set the powder aside.
- In one bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking powder. In another, whisk eggs with soy sauce and combine with the flour mixture. Gradually add dashi broth until the batter is smooth and runny.
- Brush the takoyaki plate with coconut oil and preheat it to 200°C.
- Pour batter to fill each mold and add 1-3 pieces of octopus, red ginger, and bonito powder.
- Sprinkle with chopped green onions.
- Cook for about 3 minutes until the base hardens, then rotate the takoyaki using skewers to achieve a round shape.
- Once golden brown and evenly shaped, they are ready.
