Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Perfect Takoyaki, from Plain Flour!

And the secret is...
my husband Makoto actually worked at Gindaco years ago, so he knows exactly how they make it.
^_^
I still can't make Takoyaki as good as his.  
(Well, I guess I've mostly left it up to him - this is my night off cooking!!) 

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

So, as you can guess, we'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 Makoto's 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.


42 comments:

  1. Oooh, this looks delicious! I want a takoyaki maker but there just isn't the space in my kitchen at the moment. One day, one day, and I'll use this recipe!

    Thanks so much for posting. Vicky

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  2. My takoyaki plate was probably the best thing I ever brought . It just goes right on the electric ring when I use it and in the cupboard when I've finished . I always use plain flour for mine and its always perfect , if I use yama-imo or don't bother with it . I LOVE to toast dried pink baby shrimp , grind them and put some of the powder in my takoyaki . It gives it a real flavour boost . Deena

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    1. Deena, Yes! Sakura-ebi are delicious in Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki!
      Good to hear your takoyaki plate is getting good use! For others' benefit, where did you get it and how much? I actually don't really like the cheap electric takoyaki makers, I think the heavy cast iron plate like you have is much better (and probably cheaper). We've also used one like yours on a gas cooktop and also a portable gas cooker. Makoto's multi-function Takoyaki maker includes a heavy cast iron takoyaki plate that sits perfectly on an electric element. It's by far his favorite out of about 3 takoyaki makers that he had at his parents' house.

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  3. I got mine from ebay.co.uk . The seller I brought it from doesn't have anything listed at the moment , but they are still on there . The cheapest ones are £20-£23 - it sounds like quite an expensive pan , but with Takoyaki selling at £2.95 for 4 balls .... You soon make it up . I was petrified when I first went to make them in my new pan , it looked so difficult on videos . Actually it went perfectly and wasn't at all fiddly . I make it all the time . Deena

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  4. Hi, one of my friends introduced your blog to me. You have a very nice blog - I hope to learn some yummy Japanese food from you. -Baby Sumo

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  5. Tried it and worked perfect!

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  6. SO want to make these (realy should get a takoyaki maker first though)

    How would you make these vegetarian? I dont eat fish of any kind... anything that you would have to kill an animal to get it, I will not eat it (eggs are fine)

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    2. Pickled veggies like daikon and kimchee are really good. Pizza yaki using cheese as the filling and pizza sauce on top is really good too. You can also put seitan in there.

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    3. Yes, we love making it with either kim-chi or cheese too!

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    4. If you can find a particular cheese you like, that would work. I've also heard that tofu can be used as a meat substitute, but I'm not sure how you would go about preparing it (besides boiling).

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    5. JUST BUY A PACKAGE TOFU, CUT A SMALL SLICE AND PUT IT WITH THE SHRIMP, OCTOPUS OR CHEESE, A BIT OF SPRING ONION, A TOUCH OF WASABI POWDER (WE DO) AND BOY, WE LOVE THIS FOR BREAKFAST-LUNCH OR DINNER AND IN BETWEEN.
      WITH A ELECTRICAL TAKOYAKI-MAKER, YOU CAN PUT THIS ON THE DINNER TABLE AND LET YOUR GUESTS MAKE THEIR OWN, WITH WHAT THEY LIKE.

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    6. You know you can just buy a baby cake cake pop maker it's almost the same thing go here http://thebabycakesshop.com/products/cake-pop-makers/cp-12

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  7. I am waiting for my takoyaki pan to be delivered and in the meantime, I'm researching on simple takoyaki recipes. Yours seems to be the simplest I found. I can't wait to try it out!

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  8. Is the batter supposed to be watery?

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    1. Yes, the batter is quite thin/watery. Takoyaki has a thick custard-like texture inside. If the batter is too thick, the takoyaki will turn out doughy inside, which is not nice. If the batter is too thin, the finished takoyaki will still taste alright, but will take longer to cook. We practiced many times with various water/flour proportions, and made this recipe when it was just perfect. Hope it works for you too!

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  9. Would it be ok if I use my electrical cakepop maker? It seems like the right size..Nice blog you have I am salivating now

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    1. I did a little research about making takoyaki in a cakepop maker, but I don't recommend it. The cakepop maker turns off it's heat when you open the lid. Instead of trying to make it in a cakepop maker you can try to find a dutch pancake maker (it doesn't have a lid and is cheaper than a takoyakimaker). This youtube video made it with a dutch pancake maker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CsGEe6Fgk8

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  10. Hello, I just have a question about the plain flour, could I use all purpose flour for it??

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    1. I would like to know too!! What plain flour? allpurpose? bleached? wheat flour (I saw some recipes use it)

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    2. All-purpose flour can be used for this; it turns out just fine!

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  11. Hi Shinobu san, your blog very inspiring and useful, I trust all of the content since the author is genuine Japanese (and I read about your half and half ancestor, you still back to Japan, I love Japan too, I hope someday I could travel there :D ) :).

    Since I love Japanese food and make it having a lot of fun, I have questions about it :
    1. Is there Takoyaki sauce that did not contain alcohol inside ? (FYI I don't consume alcohol). Surprise me that the sauce I already buy was contain alcohol (my mistake didn't read carefully).
    2. Can I change dashi powder with mushroom powder (this to avoid msg)?

    I'm waiting your answer Shinobu san, Thank you so much :)

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    1. You can use Okonomiyaki sauce instead of Takoyaki sauce (after reading the ingredient list, there is no mention of alcohol).

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  12. this recipe was by far the best it was sooo yummy and easy to make the ingredients were a bit challenging because i live in California but we got the ingredients and it was sooo worth it XD

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  13. Wow! This recipe kills all the other ones out there. This is by far the best one Ive tried and believe me, I've tried many and this one is the best. You can get it crispy using the special technique and the inside is creamy soft like the restaurants. Yummo! Thank you so much for this recipe! I couldn't understand why my balls deflate after I remove them off the pa but now I know!!! It works guys! So so happy I found urs. Thank you again :D takoyaki party baby!Hmm should we save it for when we go out together with the boys??

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  14. Looks delicious
    But you did not say how much time need to mature from under

    and the Fire You did not tell us how to be Is it high or low

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  15. Living in Oklahoma USA, all we get is crab, shrimp and lobster fresh in the bigger stores in cities. I know what octopus taste like having been to Japan. Does it have to be octopus?
    yours david
    davidg0828@aol.com

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    1. Shrimp is a good alternative, as it has a great flavor when boiled and is a good beginner meat if you're uncomfortable with octopus. I'm not sure about crab or lobster, but try it out if you're experimenting to figure out which kind you like the most!

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  16. This recipe certainly lives up to its name! We used an ebelskiver pan for this one and substituted boiled shrimp for the octopus (almost any meat can be used if octopus is not your favorite, but shrimp is a good beginner meat). The corn starch really helped with the thickness and texture as well as keeping the finished product from deflating when transferring to the plate. I also recommend adding oil gradually with a brush as it cooks so that it keeps a nice, crispy texture and will completely cook inside (slightly gooey, but substantial). As for the heat, we recommend a medium setting (on electric stoves, between 5 and 6) so that it'll cook quickly enough to avoid a gooey mess but still give you time to turn the balls. Hope this helps! Great recipe!

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  17. Hi. I noticed that you listed chicken stock as an alternative to dashi powder. Is there a difference in taste if I use chicken stock?

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    1. Hi, yes there is a very slight difference, obviously, but it's just another option. It will still taste great! Recently, I have been replacing dashi powder with salt, sugar and a large pinch of katsuo bushi

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  18. I loooooove Takoyaki!

    And i love your blog! I just stumbled unpon it, which is absolutely crazy since I have a bento/cokking/stuff blog myself!

    You should check it out, also I love some of your ideas, they're great!

    http://annvabento.blogspot.com

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  19. Ohayo gozaimasu shinobu san~ ^^
    I use potato starch instead of corn starch in my takoyaki, i think i will try your recipe tomorrow! Oishiisou deskara~ X3

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  20. It’s a lot of work to get them into the proper shape. You have to be constantly turning the balls.

    I found a video online of the people making them. It’s about 10 minutes of turning. Exhausting!

    http://youtu.be/w8YI9erglMw

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  21. Hi I was wondering, is there any substitution for the eggs? Usually I use eggs but sometimes I run out, so I'm wondering if there's anything else I could use.

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    1. Hello, I have successfully made takoyaki using half the number of eggs, but I don't know of any substitute, sorry!

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  22. Iam Sofie, from malaysia. Tumbs up for the takoyaki and okonomiyaki recipes. Perfect combination.

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    1. Thanks, Sofie! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

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  23. for the benefit of those in Europe, i bought it in Amazon:
    http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00C550F76/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    17 euros and it works perfectly well!!

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  24. Replies

    1. uh, sorry, yes, it does need eggs. By "from plain flour", I mean, you don't need to buy takoyaki mix or any special flour.

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  25. Do you necessarily need a takoyaki pan to make takoyaki? Is there some kind trick to making it without it? I'd love to make takoyaki, but I don't have enough space in my kitchen or my budget to invest in a pan.

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