Kitty
Culinary Explorer
have a good snack!
For the Takoyaki Batter:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) or water
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- A pinch of salt
For the Filling:
- 6 oz smoked beef, diced into small cubes
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup pickled ginger, finely chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese (optional, but adds a nice touch)
For Cooking:
- Takoyaki pan (or you can use a regular pan with rounded molds)
- Oil for greasing the pan
For Toppings:
- Takoyaki sauce (or a mix of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce)
- Japanese mayonnaise
- Aonori (dried seaweed flakes)
- Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
- Extra green onions, chopped
Instructions:
- Prepare the Batter:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, dashi (or water), eggs, baking powder, soy sauce, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Prepare the Filling:
- Dice the smoked beef into small cubes.
- Chop the green onions and pickled ginger (if using).
- Optionally, shred some cheese if you’re using it.
- Preheat the Takoyaki Pan:
- Heat the takoyaki pan over medium heat.
- Lightly oil each cavity using a brush or paper towel.
- Cook the Takoyaki:
- Pour the batter into each cavity of the pan, filling them almost to the top.
- Drop a few pieces of smoked beef, green onions, pickled ginger, and cheese (if using) into each cavity.
- Allow the batter to cook for about 1-2 minutes until the edges start to set.
- Turn the Takoyaki:
- Use a skewer or chopsticks to turn the takoyaki balls. Start by inserting the skewer into the batter and rotating it to form a ball shape. It’s a bit of a technique, so don’t worry if they’re not perfect spheres at first.
- Continue cooking and turning the balls until they are golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes total.
- Serve:
- Remove the takoyaki balls from the pan and place them on a serving plate.
- Drizzle with takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise.
- Sprinkle with aonori and katsuobushi.
- Garnish with extra chopped green onions if desired.