Takoyaki

Storing and Planning Ahead

Eat immediately. Frozen shop-bought takoyaki reheats in an air fryer; homemade ones do not survive it well.

Making Takoyaki

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1. Whisk the eggs, dashi and soy together, then whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt until completely smooth. The batter will be very thin. Rest 20 minutes.

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2. Heat a takoyaki pan over medium heat and oil every well and the flat surface between them generously with a folded paper towel.

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3. Pour batter to overflow the wells — flooding the whole plate is correct, not sloppy.

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4. Drop a piece of octopus into each well, then scatter spring onion, tenkasu and red ginger across the whole plate.

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5. Cook 2 minutes until the edges set. Run a skewer around each well to cut the connecting batter, then turn each ball 90 degrees, tucking the loose skirt inside.

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6. Cook 2 minutes more, then turn a further 90 degrees to close the sphere. Keep turning every minute for 5 to 6 minutes until browned all over and light in the well.

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7. Pile into a tray, brush with sauce, zigzag mayonnaise across, and finish with aonori and a heavy shower of bonito flakes so they wave in the heat.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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A Few Pointers

• The first turn is the hardest. Cut the batter cleanly between wells first and the ball will roll rather than tear.
• Two metal skewers work better than one — one to lift, one to steady.
• They are meant to be dangerously hot inside. Warn people, and let them sit for a minute.

Behind the Recipe

The batter is far looser than seems sensible — closer to single cream than pancake batter — because it needs to stay molten inside while the shell sets. That contrast between a crisp outer skin and a barely-set custardy centre is the entire identity of the dish, and a thick batter gives you dumplings instead.

Good Alongside

Very cold beer · Chilled green tea · Okonomiyaki, for the full Osaka spread

Swaps and Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.

Quick Answers

Takoyaki Nutrition Facts

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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