Tako means octopus in Japanese, and takoyaki are known as octopus balls. I’ve been told that takoyaki street venders are very popular in Japan. The first time I had takoyaki was a couple years ago, when I went to visit some friends who were from Osaka. They served these crispy battered balls with mystery meat and scallions inside. The outside was crunchy, the inside springy with a delicious filling. The flavor was of a savory crepe, but shaped like a round ball. To make takoyaki, they used a grill pan with at least a dozen small cups in which to pour the batter. The easy way to make these is by using a pre-mixed takoyaki flour sold at Japanese markets. Its basically wheat flour, dashi and egg and you add water. The one I found used MSG, so I made my own with gluten free flours. - edamame2003 —edamame2003
You must make these as soon as possible. I am not kidding. I cannot remember the last time I cooked something so wonderful, so different and so much fun! Admittedly, my Asian cooking skills are minimal, and you could probably develop a sitcom pilot based on my search for the utensils and the ingredients (in the end I realized I made it much more difficult than need be), but once assembled, it couldn't have been easier. Making the dashi from the kelp and the dried bonita flakes was a snap, and Edamame2003's mix of gluten-free flours results in a springy batter that crisps up beautifully on the outside and is the perfect cradle for the filling of diced calamari and green onions. The simple dipping sauce of mayonnaise and Worchestershire was a delightful accompaniment; we also offered some soy sauce with pickled ginger. I am looking forward to making these again! —wssmom
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