Today, I’d like to share with you how to make takoyaki from One Punch Man Ep.11.
Takoyaki is a popular snack for both adults and children. Nowadays, takoyaki stands at festivals as well as takoyaki bar are popular all over Japan.
And when it comes to takoyaki, Osaka is the place to be! The people of Osaka are famous for their love of takoyaki, and almost every home has a takoyaki cooker. Takoyaki can be dinner menu there!!
The takoyaki in the anime shows only green onions, red pickled ginger, and tempura pits (maybe…) in the dough, with octopus inside. Also, it is normally topped with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, dried bonito flakes, and aonori (dried green seaweed flakes) . This is a basic takoyaki.
I will share some tips on how to make it and you can enjoy the two textures of crunchy outside and rich and creamy inside.
What ingredients are suitable for the filling?
Spring onions, red pickled ginger, and tempura bits are better to be added, but there is no set rule.
If you don’t like octopus or it is difficult to find, you can add sausage, shrimp, or cheese instead. If you have small children, you can add cabbage instead of spring onions and red pickled ginger.
Where can I find the ingredients for TAKOYAKI?
- Octopus: You can get octopus already cut into bite-sized pieces and frozen, raw, or boiled, depending on where you live. In some cases, frozen octopus can be found in Asian supermarkets. Also, some stores that sell fresh seafoods may sell octopus.
- Tempura bits / red pickled ginger / dried green seaweed flakes / takoyaki sauce / dried bonito flakes: I think most of them can be purchased at Asian supermarkets.
- Mayonnaise: If you can buy it, I recommend using Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise. However, mayonnaise is not necessary, and if Kewpie mayo is not available, you can use another mayonnaise. In fact, I couldn’t buy Kewpie mayo because it was sold out, so I used the tube type mayonnaise sold in German supermarkets. It was so good!
Information
| PREP TIME: 5 mins | COOK TIME: 25 mins | TOTAL TIME: 30 mins |
| COURSE: Side Dish | CUISINE: Japanese | SERVINGS: 2 people |
Equipment
- Frying Pan for Takoyaki / Takoyaki Cooker
- Skewer
Ingredients
Takoyaki Batter
- 130 g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 pinches salt
- 500 ml dashi should be cold
- 1 egg, beaten
Ingredients
- 150 g octopus, small bite size about 30-40 pieces
- 6 tbsp tempura bits tenkasu / 天かす
- 4 tbsp spring onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp red pickled ginger, finely chopped 紅生姜
Toppings
- takoyaki sauce / okonomiyaki sauce
- dried bonito flakes
- mayonnaise
- dried green seaweed flakes aonori / 青のり
Instructions
To Make Batter
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix with a whisk.
- Add a beaten egg.
- Pour the cooled dashi broth into the powder in three separate portions and mix well.
- The dough is silky because of its high water content. The flour will gradually sink, so mix it lightly with a ladle before using.
To Cook
- For an electric grill for takoyaki, set the temperature to 200℃ or heat a takoyaki frying pan over medium heat. Coat the entire surface with vegetable oil of your choice. (If you put in enough oil to make a little pool, it will be like deep frying and will have a crunchy texture.)
- When the plate or pan is hot enough, use a ladle to fill the holes with batter.
- Add the octopus one by one, and sprinkle the spring onions, red pickled ginger, and tempura bits all over.
- Add more batter so that it does not overflow the edge of the takoyaki pan.
- Using a skewer, make a line between the holes and separate the dough.
- Insert a skewer between the dough and the pan, rotate it along the edge, and turn it over. If the dough is too soft, wait a while.
- If the dough protrudes from the hole, use a skewer to place it inside the hole. It is okay if the shape is distorted at this point. The shape will gradually become a beautiful circle. If the heat is too strong, turn it down.
- Use a skewer to rotate and shape the takoyaki. If the heat is not evenly applied, switch the location of the takoyaki for even browning.
- Place the takoyaki on a plate and cover with takoyaki sauce or okonomiyaki sauce. You can also use a brush to spread the sauce evenly. Top with mayonnaise, dried green seaweed flakes, and bonito flakes, as your choice.
