Savory Japanese Octopus Balls (Print Version)

Crispy golden balls with tender octopus, tempura bits, and tangy ginger, finished with savory sauce and seaweed.

# What You'll Need:

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour

02 - 2 large eggs

03 - 2 cups dashi stock

04 - 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

06 - 4 oz cooked octopus, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

07 - 1/4 cup tenkasu (tempura scraps)

08 - 2 tablespoons pickled red ginger, finely chopped

09 - 2 green onions, finely sliced

10 - Takoyaki sauce

11 - Japanese mayonnaise

12 - Aonori (dried seaweed flakes)

13 - Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)

01 - Whisk together flour, eggs, dashi stock, soy sauce, and salt in a mixing bowl until smooth and thin. Set aside.

02 - Preheat a takoyaki pan over medium heat and lightly oil each well to prevent sticking.

03 - Pour batter into each well, filling completely to the top. Add octopus, tenkasu, pickled ginger, and green onion into each well.

04 - Let cook for 1-2 minutes until the edges begin to set and turn golden brown.

05 - Use skewers or chopsticks to turn each ball 90 degrees, allowing uncooked batter to flow out and form a round shape.

06 - Continue turning every 1-2 minutes until balls are golden and crisp on all sides, approximately 8-10 minutes total cooking time.

07 - Remove from pan and serve hot. Drizzle with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, then sprinkle with aonori and katsuobushi.

01 -

The contrast between the crisp exterior and that soft, custardy center hits different every single time
Its interactive cooking that turns making dinner into a fun activity everyone gathers around

02 -

The batter consistency is everything, too thick and they wont turn properly, too thin and they fall apart
Your pan needs to be properly hot before adding batter or the first batch will stick and be a disaster

03 -

Let the batter rest for 15 minutes before using it, this hydrates the flour and prevents lumps
If your octopus is too big, it wont cook through, so cut it smaller than you think you need to