Takoyaki Recipe

Name: Ta Ca Asian Fusion & Sushi Bars Takoyaki Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups dashi stock (chilled); 2 count large eggs; 1 tsp soy sauce; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp baking powder; 1 cups cooked octopus (tako), diced into 1/2-inch pieces; 0.5 cups green onions (scallions), thinly sliced; 0.25 cups pickled ginger (beni shoga), finely chopped; 0.5 cups tempura scraps (tenkasu) or crushed tempura bits; 3 tbs vegetable oil (for pan, and frying); 0.5 cups tonkatsu or okonomiyaki sauce; 0.25 cups Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie preferred); 0.5 cups bonito flakes (katsuobushi); 1 tsp aonori (dried seaweed flakes)

Inspired by Ta Ca Asian Fusion & Sushi Bar

Time45m

Serves4

Fried Japanese style squid ball w. bonito flakes and sauce on the top

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Batter & Base

1 cups 00 bread flour

2 cups dashi stock (chilled)

2 count Large eggs

1 tsp Aged soy sauce

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp Baking powder

Filling & Mix-ins

1 cups cooked octopus (tako), diced into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cups green onions (scallions), thinly sliced

1/4 cups pickled ginger (beni shoga), finely chopped

1/2 cups tempura scraps (tenkasu) or crushed tempura bits

Toppings & Sauces

3 tbs vegetable oil (for pan, and frying)

1/2 cups tonkatsu or okonomiyaki sauce

1/4 cups Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie preferred)

1/2 cups bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

1 tsp aonori (dried seaweed flakes)

Method

Batter & Base

Mix dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt until evenly combined.

Combine wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly, then stir in the chilled dashi stock and soy sauce.

Gradually pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients while whisking gently until a smooth, slightly thin batter forms. Chill the batter in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes while you prepare fillings and heat the pan. The batter should be looser than pancake batter.

Filling & Mix-ins

Prepare the octopus by dicing into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Thinly slice the green onions, finely chop the pickled ginger, and have the tenkasu ready. These are all to be added while cooking each takoyaki ball so they are distributed evenly.

Cooking & Turning

Heat a takoyaki pan over medium heat. If you don't have a takoyaki pan, use an ebelskiver pan. Brush each mold generously with vegetable oil. Allow the pan to get hot (oil should shimmer) but do not let it smoke.

Pour batter into each mold until slightly overflowing. Work quickly: you want each cavity filled about 3/4–full so you can turn the batter into balls.

Immediately add one or two pieces of diced octopus into each filled cavity. Sprinkle a little green onion, a pinch of pickled ginger, and a few pieces of tenkasu on top of the batter in each mold.

Cook for 1.5–2 minutes until the edges begin to set and turn golden. Using a skewer or takoyaki pick, push into the edge of each set portion and turn it 90 degrees so uncooked batter flows out and forms the spherical shape. Continue turning the balls in stages: rotate 90–180 degrees as the batter sets, allowing the uncooked batter to run out and create a round exterior. Keep the pan at a medium heat so they cook through without burning—total cook time about 6–8 minutes until evenly golden and crisp on the outside.

If any cavities run low on batter during turning, top with a little more batter from the bowl so the balls remain plump and round. Use the pick to smooth seams for an even sphere.

Finishing & Serving

When takoyaki are evenly golden and cooked through, transfer them to a serving plate (traditionally on a wooden tray or paper boat).

Brush or drizzle tonkatsu/okonomiyaki sauce over each ball so they are lightly but evenly coated.

Drizzle Japanese mayonnaise in a thin zigzag pattern over the sauce.

Sprinkle bonito flakes generously on top; the heat will make them wave. Finish with a dusting of aonori.

Serve immediately while hot. Takoyaki are best eaten right away with toothpicks or small skewers.