
Takoyaki is a ball-shaped savory snack made from a batter of wheat flour, octopus, scallions, pickled red ginger, and other ingredients, cooked on a griddle. Originating in Osaka, it is a popular Japanese soul food commonly found at food stalls and food courts.
In addition to octopus, takoyaki often includes other ingredients like tempura flakes and squid, and is typically topped with mayonnaise, bonito flakes, and dried seaweed according to personal preference.
Ingredients (for 2 servings)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped
- 200g octopus, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Beni shoga (pickled red ginger), as needed
- Akatsuki (dried shrimp tempura flakes), as needed
- Aonori (dried seaweed), as needed
- Takoyaki sauce, as needed
- Mayonnaise, as needed
- Vegetable oil, as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
Instructions
- Finely chop the cabbage. Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, dashi, and eggs. Add baking powder for a fluffier batter.
- Stir in the cabbage.
- Heat vegetable oil in a takoyaki pan.
- Pour the batter into eight sections, add octopus, beni shoga, and akatsuki.
- Use bamboo skewers to rotate the takoyaki while cooking.
- Once cooked through, top with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and aonori, and serve immediately.
Tips
- Dashi can be easily made using dashi powder.
- Avoid overmixing the batter.
- A frying pan can be used as a substitute for a takoyaki pan.
- Feel free to customize the toppings with your favorite ingredients.
Health and beauty benefits
Often regarded as a comforting street food, takoyaki is gaining recognition for its remarkable nutritional value and its ability to promote health and beauty. Packed with high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals, takoyaki offers a surprising array of benefits that extend beyond its delicious taste.
From combating fatigue and revitalizing the body to enhancing muscle growth and boosting athletic performance, takoyaki’s benefits extend to achieving radiant skin, maintaining a youthful complexion, promoting digestive health, lowering cholesterol levels, regulating blood pressure, combating aging, and supporting hair and nail health.