Vegan Japanese Takoyaki ("Octopus" Balls) (2024)

FAQs

Vegan Japanese Takoyaki ("Octopus" Balls)? ›

Takoyaki (Japanese: たこ焼き or 蛸焼) is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger (beni shoga), and green onion (negi).

Takoyaki (Japanese: たこ焼き or 蛸焼) is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger (beni shoga), and green onion (negi).

If you don't like octopus, you can try making takoyaki with different ingredients such as chicken. Vegetarians can replace the octopus with vegetables like shiitake mushrooms.

The Kraken by Revo Foods is a plant-based alternative to octopus made with fungi protein and what the Austrian startup calls a "unique new 3D structuring approach." This vegan-friendly octopus alternative is ready to eat but it can also be grilled, fried or baked and used to recreate a wide range of globally inspired ...

Bonito flakes - known as katsuobushi in Japanese - are a strange food upon first sight. They are known to move or dance when used as a topping on foods such as okonomiyaki and takoyaki. It can be an odd sight upon first viewing if moving food makes you squeamish. However, it is nothing to be alarmed about.

Takoyaki is an iconic Japanese street food not only because of its distinct shape but also because of its flavor. The use of dashi and egg gives the batter a unique flavor which pairs beautifully with the savory filling and the salty sauces and garnishes.

When people eat takoyaki, they are often surprised by its texture: is takoyaki supposed to be mushy? The answer is yes, it's supposed to be a little runny and gooey inside. The gooeyness is what most vendors strive for because it adds to the uniqueness of takoyaki.

Takoyaki (たこ焼き) is a Japanese snack in the shape of little round balls containing pieces of octopus. Tako-yaki literally translates to “octopus-grilled/fried” and some people may call it “Grilled Octopus Balls” or “Octopus Dumplings”.

Takoyaki need quite a few ingredients and a specialized pan, but I think it's worth it. You can find a takoyaki pan on amazon.com or you can use an ebelskiver (Danish pancake) pan. As for the insides, octopus is classic, but feel free to put in shrimp, chicken, or whatever savoury filling you like.

Ebiyaki is a variation of Takoyaki, and you might find it easier to search for a Takoyaki recipe. Tako = octopus and Ebi = shrimp, and other proteins can be used.

Can vegans eat octopus? ›

​ Octopus, a shellfish product, is not vegan.

In traditional takoyaki, octopus is not the only non-vegan ingredient. The batter is based on dashi as the liquid, a Japanese stock base. Dashi is usually made by soaking dried seaweed, dried fish, and sometimes dried mushrooms in water and then removing the solid parts ​[16]​.

By that definition, a pescatarian is someone who chooses to eat a vegetarian diet, but who also eats fish and other seafood. It's a largely plant-based diet of whole grains, nuts, legumes, produce and healthy fats, with seafood playing a key role as a main protein source. Many pescatarians also eat dairy and eggs.

Katsuobushi (Japanese: 鰹節) is simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis, sometimes referred to as bonito). It is also known as bonito flakes or broadly as okaka (おかか).

Ingredients. To make the takoyaki batter, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs, soy sauce, and dashi, and whisk to combine.

The batter is made of flour, grated nagaimo (a long type of yam), dashi or water, eggs, shredded cabbage, and usually contains other ingredients such as green onion, meat (usually thinly sliced pork belly or American bacon), octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, konjac, mochi, or cheese.

Occasionally, tako will be served raw (namadako) - as pictured above - it must then be sliced very thinly to prevent it from being too chewy. Namadako really brings out the sweetness of the flesh, and is best with a little Okinawa sea salt and a drop of sudachi.

Stovetop takoyaki pans come in cast iron or aluminum. Cast iron takoyaki pans are heavier than aluminum ones and will take longer to get hot, but they retain heat better. Aluminum takoyaki pans are less expensive, lighter in weight, and respond more quickly to changes in temperature.

Simply put, takoyaki tastes like a savory treat filled with octopus, ginger, seaweed, and vegetables.