Takoyaki (たこ焼き)

Tako means octopus and yaki means grilled or fried. This popular Osakan dish has become a favourite between my flatmates and I during our 4th year of uni. Takoyaki isn’t incredibly hard to make, but some practice may be required. The biggest hurdle in making takoyaki is to know when and how to flip the ball amidst cooking. A takoyaki pan is a must have, it would be impossible to make otherwise.

Stuff you need:

• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Milk
• Salt
• 1/2 sachet Dashi Stock (2.5g)
• Spring Onions
• Octopus (can be substituted with King Prawns)
• Takoyaki Sauce
• Kewpie Mayo
• Aonori Seaweed Flakes
• Dried Bonito Flakes
• Takoyaki Pan

or…

• Get all in one go…

What to do:

Making the batter: Mix together the flour with milk, eggs, dashi stock and a pinch of salt. I find the ratio of 1 part flour to 2 parts liquid works best. Mix well until the batter is smooth. Some recipes may recommend to use cold sparking water and chill the batter mixture before cooking, it is said that the texture will be softer and more chewy. As to how, I have absolutely no idea but the closest reason I can think of is this. I think this effect can be achieved with milk. If in doubt, use water.

Prepping fillings: At £5.50/100g down at the local Japan Centre, octopus is very expensive and can be quite costly if making a lot of takoyaki. My goto filling is spring onions and king prawns, which I think is a close substitute. Squid can also be a substitute, however it’s a lot more chewy and can be rubbery if overcooked. This, in contrast to the soft batter, ruins the texture in my opinion. To ensure the prawns do not overcook, drench in hot boiled water and leave for about 5 minutes. Once drained, the prawns should be cooked and extremely tender. Dice the spring onions finely and cut the prawns into bite sized chunks.

If you do end up making a lot of takoyaki and have friends over, try Takoyaki Roulette (i.e. place a spoonful of chilli paste into one during cooking, or chocolate, or garlic, or ginger…).

Cooking the tako: Heat the takoyaki pan on medium heat and add in about a tablespoon of vegetable oil per division. As soon as the oil is warm, fill each division to just under the brim with batter. You don’t want to pour the batter when the oil is hot, the batter will begin the deep fry and won’t give you time to add the filling. Whilst the batter is still liquid in the centre, add in the spring onions and a chunk of prawn to each takoyaki.

Cook for a minute or two. Once a solid wall is visible, use a kebab stick and swirl around the outer edge to separate the takoyaki from the pan, and then proceed to flip it upside down. One hemisphere should be solid, the liquid centre should then run to the bottom to cook the other hemisphere.

Cook for about another 2-3 minutes, flipping frequently until it looks golden brown. To serve, garnish with Takoyaki sauce, Kewpie mayo, dried Aonori and Bonito flakes.