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Vegan Takoyaki (Japanese "Octopus" Balls)

Keisha
Did you know that you can easily enjoy takoyaki in the comfort of your own home? This Japanese street food is fun to make and can be enjoyed along with your friends and family. If you want to know how I made this iconic Osaka street food vegan, continue on reading. You'll see how easy it is, and how accessible the ingredients are.
All of these, if not most, ingredients can be found at any Asian grocery store! 
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 16 pieces

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Mesh Sieve
  • Takoyaki pan
  • Mixing bowl
  • Chopping Board
  • Chef's knife
  • Whisk
  • Wooden skewers
Pro TipIf a recipe calls for it, use a food scale to weigh ingredients in grams for the best results! Use the options below to toggle between cups or grams.

Ingredients
  

Vegan Dashi:
Takoyaki recipe:
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ cup vegan dashi
  • ½ teaspoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • green onion
  • Beni shōga (red pickled ginger)
  • Rehydrated shiitake from the dashi
Sauce toppings:

Instructions
 

Making the dashi:

  • In a small saucepan, combine the dried kombu, dried shiitake mushrooms, and water.
  • Place over medium-low heat, allow it to come to a slight boil (not a complete boil, and not a simmer), and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Using a fine-mesh sieve, drain the dashi into a bowl. Remove the kombu, and save it for another recipe. Use the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, to fill your takoyaki!

Making the takoyaki

  • Cut up the rehydrated shiitake into small chunks, finely chop up the green onions and red pickled ginger. Set aside until ready to use.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, 1 ¼ cup of vegan dashi, rice vinegar, , and soy sauce. Mix until well combined. You are looking for a thin batter.
  • Pre-heat the takoyaki pan over medium-low heat. Generously brush the entire pan, the cavities and the flat areas with oil.
  • When the pan is hot, pour the batter to fill up all the cavities. It's totally fine if it overflows!
  • Start by adding in about 2-3 pieces of shiitake mushrooms into each cavity of batter, then sprinkle in the green onions, and then the red pickled ginger. It's totally fine if they're sprinkled all over the pan, it'll all get cooked and combined together.
  • Cook the bottoms for about 3-4 minutes. Use a wooden skewer to break the connected batter between each well.
  • Use the wooden skewers to flip it over and stuff the edges into itself as you're turning. Let it cook for about another 1-2 minutes. Continue to do this until you have a nice round shape and the outside is nice and crispy and golden.
  • Transfer the takoyaki balls on to a plate, pour the Bull-Dog sauce, mayonnaise, and top it off with some aonori or furikake. Serve immediately, but be careful they will be hot inside!

Notes

  • Call me extra, but I like to pour some of the mayonnaise into a squeezy bottle, so I can easily drizzle it over the tops.
  • You can find all, if not most, of these ingredients at any Asian grocery store!
  • Skewers are easier to use to flip the takoyaki as it cooks. Chopsticks are too fat to poke through and will make it hard to flip.
  • Unfortunately, you can't make takoyaki without the special pan. If you have a Japanese specialty store near you, you can probably find a pan in there. I got mine in San Antonio, Texas when I was visiting. But you can also order it online.

The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @flouredframe on social!