Takoyaki Recipe (Japanese Octopus Balls)

Takoyaki is a Japanese term for “octopus grilled/fried,” and they are a very popular yatai (or mobile street food) snack. These lightly fried octopus balls have a crisp outer shell with a soft and moist center filled with pieces of octopus, pickled ginger, green onions, and crunchy tenkasu (or tempura pieces). These fried octopus balls were first popularized by a man named Tomekichi Endo from Osaka, Japan in the 1930s. Originally, they were filled with beef and konjac, they are far better known for their octopus filling these days. Endo was influenced by a Japanese dumpling called akashiyaki, which was made of egg batter and octopus. Although these are named after their octopus filling, you can also find takoyaki filled with other foods like: squid, mushrooms, shrimp, and more. Currently, you can find takoyaki served at more than just street food stalls, but in restaurants and even convenience stores too in Asia and all over the world. Most of my experience with takoyaki comes from eating at Japanese restaurants and they varied in size, crispness, and the texture of the batter inside. Typically, they range anywhere from 1-2 inches in diameter (depending on where you buy them) and they are cooked in a special pan with individual semi-circles. However, I have had deep fried takoyaki that had a much thicker crust due to the frying. If you don’t have time to make it all from scratch, you can also purchase premade takoyaki powder (or mix) from your local Japanese store too. But if you’re a traditionalist, you’ll like that this recipe uses a wet batter made of dashi, all-purpose flour, rice flour, eggs, soy sauce, and baking soda.