This Russian Roulette Takoyaki appetizer is inspired by Dragon Ball Super (Season 1, Episode 6). This recipe and 74 others are all inspired by your favourite Animes! Written by Nadine Estero, this cookbook is like no other – you’ll love the themes, the attention to detail, and the adorable illustrations!
Beerus, a powerful being that can destroy worlds (and authorized the destruction of Vegeta’s home planet), has come to Earth searching for the last Saiyan. Bulma, Vegeta’s wife, invites them to her birthday party thinking they are a friend of her husband, but Vegeta spends the rest of the party hoping nobody angers the god. Meanwhile, Krillin offers Beerus this dish, identical takoyaki (balls of fluffy dough with octopus), except that one is filled with wasabi. Luckily, Krillin’s little prank doesn’t jeopardize the planet, but it does backfire on Krillin! You may want to have a cold drink at the ready for the unlucky person.
Russian Roulette Takoyaki
Takoyaki Yield: 30 Minutes
Prep: 15 Minutes
Special Tools: Takoyaki Pan
Ingredients:
Takoyaki Batter
– 11⁄2 cups (360 ml) cold water
– 1 teaspoon dashi powder
– 1 large egg, beaten
– 1 teaspoon soy sauce
– 1 cup (130 g) cake flour (or substitute with 1 cup, or 120 g, all-purpose flour)
– 1⁄2 tablespoon cornstarch
– Pinch salt
– Oil, for cooking
Standard Fillings
– 1 piece (9 inches, or 23 cm, long) boiled tender octopus, finely diced
– 2 teaspoons bonito powder
– 2 teaspoons red pickled ginger (beni shoga)
– 1 scallion, thinly sliced
– 1⁄4 cup (5 g) tempura bits (tenkasu or agedama; you can substitute with unsweetened crispy rice cereal)
Optional Fillings
– 1⁄4 cup (35 g) finely diced cheese (such as cheddar or mozzarella)
– 1⁄4 cup (50 g) finely diced sausage
– 1⁄4 cup (25 g) finely diced peeled and deveined shrimp
– 1⁄4 cup (38 g) finely diced kimchi
– Wasabi, to taste
For Serving
– Kewpie mayo, to taste
– Takoyaki sauce, to taste
– Dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi), to taste
– Dried seaweed flakes (aonori), to taste
Directions:
1 To make the takoyaki batter: In a medium bowl, stir together the cold water and dashi powder until dissolved, then add the beaten egg, soy sauce, flour, cornstarch, and salt. The batter should be a loose and fluid consistency. Transfer the batter to a pouring vessel for easier assembly on the grill.
2 Set out the standard and optional fillings you are using beside the takoyaki pan. (Takoyaki cooks quickly, so I recommend laying out all the ingredients and having them at hand before you start cooking.)
3 Place the takoyaki pan over medium heat. Once hot, brush oil over the entire takoyaki pan, including the molds, then pour the batter
into the molds, filling them all the way to the brim. Sprinkle a small amount of the standard fillings in each mold, then add some optional fillings (if using) with one or a few having wasabi!
4 Cook until the top of the batter is almost set, 2 to 3 minutes. Using chopsticks or bamboo skewers, loosen each takoyaki by scraping around the edges of the batter, then turn each ball ninety degrees to its side. Add more batter to each mold and shove cooked extra batter from the takoyaki’s perimeter to fill any holes. Turn another ninety degrees to expose the crispy bottom half to the top. Add more batter to fill any holes. Continue cooking until all sides are crispy, 10 to 12 minutes total. Remove the pan from the heat and the takoyaki from the pan. Repeat step 3 and this step with any remaining batter and fillings, brushing additional oil over the pan if needed.
5 To serve: Place 6 takoyaki on each plate while hot, drizzle with Kewpie mayo and takoyaki sauce, and sprinkle with a few pinches each of bonito and seaweed flakes.
Note: It’s easy to buy everything at an Asian supermarket to make takoyaki in a jiffy. Check the open refrigerator aisles for precooked octopus (tako in takoyaki means “octopus”), or you may discover other ingredients you would like to add as fillings. Some stores even sell takoyaki pans, but they are also available to buy online. “Inside a warm and fluffy ball of powdered grain lurks the chewy sensation of an eightarmed earth mollusk!” —Beerus, Dragon Ball Super
