Takoyaki (Octopus Balls)
Ingredients:
1 whole octopus, cleaned
1/2 cup dashi
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mirin
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
10 takoyaki pans
Takoyaki balls are a popular Japanese street food. They are made of a batter containing octopus pieces, and fried in a special takoyaki pan. The pan has small round indentations, and the batter is scooped into these before being fried.
Method:
1. Cut the octopus into small pieces.
2. In a bowl, mix together the dashi, water, flour, eggs, salt, mirin and soy sauce.
3. Heat the takoyaki pan over medium heat, and brush with oil.
4. Scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into each indentation, and top with a piece of octopus.
5. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the batter is cooked through.
6. Remove from the pan, and serve with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise.
Potential changes & improvements:
-Try using different seafood in the batter, such as shrimp or squid.
-Add vegetables to the batter, such as grated carrot or chopped green onion.
-For a vegetarian version, omit the octopus and use vegetables instead.
Works Well With…
-Takoyaki balls are often served with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise.
-They can also be served with a variety of other sauces, such as soy sauce, sweet chili sauce or teriyaki sauce.
-They can be served as a main dish, or as an appetizer or side dish.
Common Mistakes:
-Not mixing the batter well enough, resulting in a lumpy batter.
-Not heating the pan enough, which will result in the takoyaki balls not cooking through properly.
-Adding too much octopus, which will make the balls difficult to flip.
Nutritional Information:
-1 ball (without sauce or mayonnaise):
-Calories: 84
-Fat: 2.3g
-Saturated fat: 0.4g
-Cholesterol: 37mg
-Sodium: 220mg
-Carbohydrates: 10.6g
-Fiber: 0.4g
-Sugar: 1.1g
-Protein: 4.4g
Allergens:
-Eggs
-Wheat