Umami GuruRecipes

Takoyaki (たこ焼き)

Japan

Takoyaki

Traditional Japanese snack – small dough balls with pieces of octopus, green onion, pickled ginger and aromatic tempura crumbs (agedama). Fried in a pan until golden and served with tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise, sprinkled with dried tuna‑bonito flakes.

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Takoyaki step 1

    Prepare agedama: In a small bowl, mix 2 tsp of beaten egg, 2 tbsp of water and 2 tbsp of flour. Heat vegetable oil in a pan to about 160 °C, pour in the mixture, stir quickly and fry for about 3 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel.

  2. Takoyaki step 2

    Cut the octopus into ~1 cm cubes, finely slice the green onion, cut the ginger into ~5 mm pieces, and crush the tuna bonito flakes into finer crumbs.

  3. Takoyaki step 3

    Make the batter: In a bowl, whisk 1 egg, soy sauce, and half the water (≈75 ml). Add 150 ml of flour, mix, then pour in the remaining water and mix again.

  4. Takoyaki step 4

    To the mixture, add the prepared octopus pieces, green onion, ginger, tuna bonito flakes, and 3 tbsp of ready agedama. Mix thoroughly.

  5. Takoyaki step 5

    Heat a pan, add vegetable oil and keep it on low heat. Pour a portion of batter, shape a ball, then add the next portion and repeat. Fry each side for about 3 minutes until golden brown.

  6. Takoyaki step 6

    Place the cooked takoyaki on a plate, drizzle with tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise, and sprinkle with a small amount of tuna bonito flakes.