Chef Saito’s Takoyaki [Japanese Cooking] – Dining with the Chef
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Make takoyaki at home! Osaka-born Chef Saito shares his recipe for these golden bites—crispy outside, creamy inside, and full of flavor. Our featured recipe is takoyaki with two different toppings.
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Ingredients (Serves 4)
– 150 g boiled octopus
– Benishoga (minced), as needed
– Takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, katsuobushi, aonori, vegetable oil, as needed
– Green onion, soy sauce, as needed
Takoyaki batter:
– 200 g flour
– 100g egg
– 50 ml milk
– A pinch of salt
– 750 ml dashi [made from 10 g kombu, 15 g katsuobushi, 1000 ml water and 30 ml water]
For agedama:
– 3 tbsp flour
– 4 tbsp water
– 1 tsp rice vinegar
– Vegetable oil, as needed
Directions
1. Prepare the takoyaki batter: add the flour, eggs, salt and milk to a bowl. Add the dashi little by little while mixing. Set aside in the fridge for 1 hour to rest.
2. Cut the octopus into about 1cm cubes.
3. Prepare the agedama: mix the flour, water and rice vinegar in a bowl, then mix well together.
Heat 1 cm of vegetable oil in a pan to 170 degrees Celsius. Use a whisk to shake droplets of batter into the oil. Fry for 1 or 2 minutes until they turn light brown and drain on a paper towel.
4. Heat a takoyaki grill to high. Coat the concave molds and surrounding areas with oil. Stir the batter, then fill the molds with a generous amount of batter.
5. Add a piece of octopus to each concave mold. Scatter the minced benishoga and agedama over the plate.
6. Once the surface has started to firm a little, stick a pick into the mold and turn the batter 90 degrees. Tuck the overflowing batter and fillings into the mold, then keep turning to form a ball and cook until golden brown.
7. Plate the takoyaki. Drizzle with sauce and mayonnaise, and top with aonori and katsuobushi.
For a variation, brush with soy sauce and top with chopped green onions.