Hello! I’m an amateur #shef and I’m back in the kitchen, making my favourite food of all time, takoyaki π©π»βπ³π
I made 68 balls tonight and yes, I ate most of it π.
I made 68 balls tonight and yes, I ate most of it π.
Batter
We purchased this bag by Wanaka in a gift shop in Osaka. The takoyaki mix was stock dashi, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and soy sauce. All we had to do was add 7 cups of water and 3 large eggs.
Next time I’ll attempt to make the dry ingredient component from scratch. For an alternative, you can purchase the flour mix off Amazon.
Next time I’ll attempt to make the dry ingredient component from scratch. For an alternative, you can purchase the flour mix off Amazon.
Fillings
We used squid instead of octopus because that was all we had in our freezer haha. Mick kindly prepared and cooked the squid for me. All I did was chop it up into little pieces and work on my green onions. Other optional ingredients to add are red ginger, chopped cabbage and tempura scraps.
Oil up
The reason I was so eager to make takoyaki tonight was because my delivery had arrived. I got the 16-piece takoyaki pan and grilling sticks off Amazon (PAN and STICKS).
I opted for the manual pan because I think the takoyaki would taste better when made with love, instead of an electric device. This pan has a few slots underneath that fit the stove perfectly.
I opted for the manual pan because I think the takoyaki would taste better when made with love, instead of an electric device. This pan has a few slots underneath that fit the stove perfectly.
Ready
Next I heated up the pan on low-medium. After about a minute, I poured the batter. Be generous. It’s okay if it seeps outside of the circle mould.
Set
Filled my babies up with the squid and veggies. The batter was starting to cook in the yellow areas. It took about 3-5 minutes on low-medium heat to reach this point.
Cook
I divided the takoyaki evenly by gliding the sticks along the lines on the pan. After another minute, I began flipping my balls. This was really tricky.
I used my left stick around the back of the ball while my right stick pushed the ball from the front in an upward motion, like pedalling a bike. I found this worked best for me. My technique comes from my years of watching my favourite food being made haha. There are probably Youtube videos if you need a visual tutorial.
I used my left stick around the back of the ball while my right stick pushed the ball from the front in an upward motion, like pedalling a bike. I found this worked best for me. My technique comes from my years of watching my favourite food being made haha. There are probably Youtube videos if you need a visual tutorial.
I noticed the centre four was cooking faster than the outer corners. I tried flipping these first and worked in a clockwise motion around the pan.
There were a few balls that looked smaller than desired so I added more batter and continued flipping. The added batter could be stuffed inside the takoyaki so the ball could remain soft inside.
There were a few balls that looked smaller than desired so I added more batter and continued flipping. The added batter could be stuffed inside the takoyaki so the ball could remain soft inside.
Once the outer layer was starting to brown, I lowered the heat and swapped the balls around to evenly distribute the warmth. I found this was the most effective way to get everything cooked at the same time.
Serving
Look at the colour! π I pierced through the ball to pick them up. This was tricky on my first batch but it got easier with practice.
I was eager and did a taste test. I didn’t take a photo with my camera but I did post the inside on my Instagram story at @mxchronicles. The inside was super soft and creamy, with a strong umami flavour, elevating the squid juices. The outer layer was a thin crispiness, the kind of batter I love. It was delicious on its own.
Toppings
Finally, I added my toppings:
- Takoyaki sauce by Wanaka, purchased in Osaka. It’s similar to Worcestershire sauce if you cannot get your hands on the real thing.
- Japanese kewpie mayonnaise
- Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
Enjoy
The sauce added a bursting sweetness to the takoyaki. The mayonnaise made it taste like velvet. It was friggin’ delicious and SO GOOD!
βOne bag of the flour mix made 4.25 batches of takoyaki so 68 balls! I delivered a batch to Mick’s sister and she loved it too. We enjoyed the rest of the takoyaki with a bottle of Koi Imayo Tsukasa that we purchased in Niigata π
Thanks for reading. Happy eating tomadachi!
βOne bag of the flour mix made 4.25 batches of takoyaki so 68 balls! I delivered a batch to Mick’s sister and she loved it too. We enjoyed the rest of the takoyaki with a bottle of Koi Imayo Tsukasa that we purchased in Niigata π
Thanks for reading. Happy eating tomadachi!
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