Takoyaki - Japanese Street Snack

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups Dashi - or stock (2 tbsp chicken powder if mixing it with 2 cups of water)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour (or 1 cup Takoyaki flour)
• 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce (if not using Takoyaki flour)
• 1/3 cup green onion - diced
• 2 tbsp benishoga *pickled red ginger’ - finely chopped
• 2/3 cup chopped octopus
• Takoyaki sauce or Okonomiyaki sauce
• Kewpie Mayonnaise
• Aonori
• Dried bonito flakes
• cooking oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together Dashi, eggs, soy sauce and flour. Make sure the mixture is lump-free. (you can sieve the flour in bit by bit to prevent lumps).

2. Oil a Takoyaki pan using a piece of paper towel, twisted into a ball.  Oil it well - use approximately 2 tbsp of oil each round for a pan of 20 spaces.

3. Place the pan directly on the stove. Heat heat the pan just until the oil begins to smoke. Then turn the heat down to medium to medium-high.

4. Pour batter to fill the holes of the pan.

5. Add octopus pieces in the batter in each hole, and sprinkle chopped green onions and ginger all over the pan.

6. Cook for 2 minutes and flip over using small sticks. (ITS TRICKY TO DO THIS THE FIRST FEW TIMES. But the trick is to run your sticks around the edges and see if the batter comes off. If it does, try to circle the batter to let it un-stick to the pan.)

7. Cook another 2 minutes. Then keep turning. If there are gaps, add some batter in and cook that area for 1 minute before turning again. Keep turning the Takoyaki until they are golden brown.

8. Pour Takoyaki sauce and mayo over them. Then sprinkle Aonori, remaining green onion and bonito flakes on top to serve.