Zacchary Bird
Zacchary Bird
The vegan butcher, the vegan baker and the vegan trouble maker.

This recipe is out of my second cookbook The Vegan Butcher - snazzy second edition out early September 2022!

VEGAN TAKOYAKI

JAPANESE OCTOPUS BALLS

FROM THE RED HERRING CHAPTER OF

THE VEGAN BUTCHER

Makes 12 takoyaki balls.

To create delicious vegan octopus balls, you can use a specialist takoyaki pan (pictured) or you can upcycle an impromptu takoyaki pan out of an old cake pop pan or any old pan with half sphere moulds as I’ve done in the past with success.

This recipe has been adapted from The Vegan Butcher, which you can order directly from me, signed, right now!

TENKASU TIP: Tenkasu is the leftover batter crumbs from making tempura and they’re not something to waste! Save these to add to this batter for a delightful bonus crunch in each ball.

KOMBU DASHI TIP: Cut slits into 10g dried kombu then combine with 35g dried shiitake and 1L cold water in the fridge overnight. Pour the stock into a saucepan and heat to 70°C. Cool and squeeze the liquid from the mushrooms. Ta-da! You’ve made vegan awase dashi broth. Leave out either the kombu or the shiitake if you don’t have on hand for simple kombu or shiitake dashi.


INGREDIENTS

  • 125 g (4½ oz) store-bought konnjaku or 2 king oyster mushrooms - as the mock octopus

  • 50 g (1¾ oz) pickled sushi ginger

  • 1 spring onion (scallion), divided into whites and greens, finely sliced

  • 1 tablespoon nori flakes

    Batter

  • 500 ml (2 cups) dashi (see tips)

  • 120 g (4½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 pinch of sea salt

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce

    Takoyaki Sauce (or store-bought vegan okonomi sauce)

    110 g (4 oz) tomato ketchup

    75 ml (2 1⁄2 fl oz) vegan worcestershire sauce

    2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

    1 tablespoon rice malt syrup

    If using konnjaku, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Slice the konnjaku into 2 cm (3/4 in) cubes and boil for 3 minutes, then drain. 

    If using king oyster mushrooms, slice into 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes and cook with a splash of water in a saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes. Replenish water occasionally until the mushrooms release their liquid and begin to stick to the pan. 

    Lightly grease a takoyaki or an upcycled cake pop pan by wiping a small amount of oil into the moulds with paper towel. Preheat the pan over medium–low heat.

    To make the batter, place the kombu dashi in a saucepan over high heat and simmer until reduced by half (you want 250 ml/1 cup liquid). Set aside to cool completely. Combine with the remaining batter ingredients in a bowl and whisk into a runny batter. 

    Place the takoyaki sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk.

    Place the batter, prepared konnjaku, half the ginger and the white spring onion near the takoyaki pan so you can work quickly. 

    Three-quarters fill each takoyaki mould with the batter. Divide the spring onion and ginger among the takoyaki and place a piece of konnjaku in each mould. Pour the remaining batter over the top, allowing it to run between the individual takoyaki and cover the entire pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the batter begins to set. 

    Use a toothpick or skewer to separate and scrape the batter on top of each takoyaki to enclose the filling. With the toothpick, gently snag the edge of each takoyaki ball and rotate the ball 120 degrees so that the uncooked batter is flipped to the bottom of each round mould and the crisped round side is now peeking out of the top. Once the bottom has crisped, use the toothpick to rotate the takoyaki one more time, to ensure all sides are fully cooked. This can take 10–12 minutes in total.

    Remove the takoyaki to a serving plate and use a pastry brush to coat the tops with the takoyaki sauce. Scatter the green spring onion, the remaining ginger and the nori flakes over the top and serve immediately with, depending on your dexterity, toothpicks or chopsticks.