Tako Yaki Recipe

Make batter

In a large bowl, whisk the egg into the dashi until combined. Add soy sauce. Sift the flour and baking powder into the liquid and whisk until smooth; batter should be slightly thin and pourable. Season with salt and mix briefly. Let rest 10 minutes while prepping other ingredients.

Prepare fillings and tools: dice cooked octopus into ~1/2-inch pieces, slice green onions, chop pickled ginger, measure tenkasu. Heat a takoyaki pan over medium heat and brush each cavity generously with vegetable oil.

Fill pan

Bring the oiled takoyaki pan to medium-high heat until oil shimmers but not smoking. Pour batter into each well until slightly overfull (batter will settle). Drop one piece of octopus into the center of each well, then sprinkle a pinch of green onion, a little pickled ginger and a few tenkasu into each.

Cook and turn

Allow batter to set for about 1–2 minutes. Using takoyaki picks or two skewers, work around the edge of each ball to loosen and start turning them 90 degrees so uncooked batter flows into the cavity. Continue rotating every 30–60 seconds to form a round ball, adding a little oil to cavities if sticking. Cook for 4–6 minutes total until golden brown and crisp outside, soft inside. Adjust heat as needed so they brown without burning.

Transfer cooked takoyaki to a plate. Immediately brush or drizzle each with takoyaki/okonomiyaki sauce, then squeeze or drizzle Japanese mayonnaise in a thin zigzag.

Sprinkle with aonori and pile on katsuobushi (bonito flakes) — the heat will make the flakes move. Serve hot. Provide extra sauce and toothpicks if desired.