Perfect Takoyaki, from Plain Flour!

And the secret is...

my friend actually worked at Gindaco years ago, so he knows exactly how they make it.

^_^

I still can't make Takoyaki as good as this.  

I did a post on Takoyaki last year, with step-by-step instructions on how to make perfect, crispy takoyaki.  However, at that stage I was still recommending takoyaki flour - I hadn't come up with the perfect, from-scratch takoyaki recipe yet.

So, I've tried a lot of recipes over the years,

and I think I've finally got it!

(Because these takoyaki were to die for!)

But then you say: "without takoyaki flour, surely you need yama-imo, right?"

My answer: Yama-imo might enhance the texture even more, but we didn't use either!

This recipe doesn't need it!

Perfect Crisp Takoyaki Batter Recipe

makes 26-30 large balls (Serves 2~3 people...but we always need to make a double batch for the 3 of us, as my husband eats about 30 on his own...)
Cups are Australian Metric (250ml), eggs are 60g.

1 cup plain flour
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch  (or 1 Tbsp katakuriko)
2 eggs
2 cups water
1 tsp dashi powder or chicken stock
3 tsp Japanese soy sauce

1. Place flours in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and combine/aerate with a whisk.
2. Add eggs, dashi powder and half of the water.  Whisk until smooth.
3. Add soy sauce and the rest of the water gradually, while whisking.
4. Cover and refrigerate for half an hour, while you prepare the other ingredients:

Boiled Octopus, sliced up into 26 pieces
finely sliced negi (shallots/ spring onions/scallions)
1~2 Tbsp beni-shoga (red pickled ginger) 

     For On Top:

Takoyaki Sauce (or Okonomi or Tonkatsu sauce)
Japanese Mayonnaise
Katsuobushi
Ao-nori

5.  Follow the instructions on how to Make Takoyaki: How to Make Crisp Golden Takoyaki
When all your takoyaki are ball-shaped, pour a drizzle of oil onto the hotplate in-between the takoyaki - enough that the oil goes into the holes under the takoyaki.  This makes the surface of the takoyaki crispy as they actually fry in the oil.  Keep turning balls until they are crispy and golden.