Russian Roulette Takoyaki
Takoyaki inspired by Dragon Ball Super — crispy octopus-filled batter balls cooked in a takoyaki pan, where one or a few hide a fiery hit of wasabi for a game of "Russian roulette." Requires a special takoyaki pan.
Ingredients
| 1½ cups (360 ml) | Cold water (takoyaki batter) | |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | Dashi powder |
| 1 | Large egg, beaten | |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | Soy sauce |
| 1 cup (130 g) | Cake flour (or substitute 1 cup / 120 g all-purpose flour) | |
| ½ tablespoon | 7.5 ml | Cornstarch |
| Pinch | Salt | |
| — | Oil, for cooking | |
| 1 piece (9 inches / 23 cm long) | Boiled tender octopus, finely diced (standard filling) | |
| 2 teaspoons | 10 ml | Bonito powder |
| 2 teaspoons | 10 ml | Red pickled ginger (beni shoga) |
| 1 | Scallion, thinly sliced | |
| ¼ cup (5 g) | Tempura bits (tenkasu or agedama; or unsweetened crispy rice cereal) | |
| ¼ cup (35 g) | Finely diced cheese, such as cheddar or mozzarella (optional filling) | |
| ¼ cup (50 g) | Finely diced sausage (optional filling) | |
| ¼ cup (25 g) | Finely diced peeled and deveined shrimp (optional filling) | |
| ¼ cup (38 g) | Finely diced kimchi (optional filling) | |
| To taste | Wasabi (optional filling) | |
| To taste | Kewpie mayo (for serving) | |
| To taste | Takoyaki sauce (for serving) | |
| To taste | Dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi), for serving | |
| To taste | Dried seaweed flakes (aonori), for serving |
Instructions
Special tools: Takoyaki pan.
- To make the takoyaki batter: In a medium bowl, stir together the cold water and dashi powder until dissolved, then add the beaten egg, soy sauce, flour, cornstarch, and salt. The batter should be a loose and fluid consistency. Transfer the batter to a pouring vessel for easier assembly on the grill.
- Set out the standard and optional fillings you are using beside the takoyaki pan. (Takoyaki cooks quickly, so I recommend laying out all the ingredients and having them at hand before you start cooking.)
- Place the takoyaki pan over medium heat. Once hot, brush oil over the entire takoyaki pan, including the molds, then pour the batter into the molds, filling them all the way to the brim. Sprinkle a small amount of the standard fillings in each mold, then add some optional fillings (if using) with one or a few having wasabi!
- Cook until the top of the batter is almost set, 2 to 3 minutes. Using chopsticks or bamboo skewers, loosen each takoyaki by scraping around the edges of the batter, then turn each ball ninety degrees to its side. Add more batter to each mold and shove cooked extra batter from the takoyaki's perimeter to fill any holes. Turn another ninety degrees to expose the crispy bottom half to the top. Add more batter to fill any holes. Continue cooking until all sides are crispy, 10 to 12 minutes total. Remove the pan from the heat and the takoyaki from the pan. Repeat step 3 and this step with any remaining batter and fillings, brushing additional oil over the pan if needed.
- To serve: Place 6 takoyaki on each plate while hot, drizzle with Kewpie mayo and takoyaki sauce, and sprinkle with a few pinches each of bonito and seaweed flakes.
Note: It's easy to buy everything at an Asian supermarket to make takoyaki in a jiffy. Check the open refrigerator aisles for precooked octopus (tako in takoyaki means "octopus"), or you may discover other ingredients you would like to add as fillings. Some stores even sell takoyaki pans, but they are also available to buy online.