Japanese Street Food (Takoyaki, Taiyaki & Okonomiyaki)

Some of the best food on earth is sold on the street and Japan is a country that knows this well. Food stalls called yatai (屋台) line the streets during Japan’s many street festivals and sell some of the most famous street food in the world. Today we’re going to do our best to channel that festive energy to make said famous foods at the crib. Enter: homemade Japanese street food. 🤘🏼Adam

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Stuff I Use...

Dried Bonito Shavings “Katsuobushi”: https://amzn.to/3LJS9Uz

Dried Seaweed “Kombu”: https://amzn.to/3LFYccS

Instant Dashi Powder “Hondashi” (short cut): https://amzn.to/4cZmvP3

Okonomiyaki Sauce: https://amzn.to/3Wr6dXT

Japanese Kewpie Mayo: https://amzn.to/3yiOaLx

Fine Seaweed Flakes “Aonori”: https://amzn.to/4diR41N

Red Pickled Ginger: https://amzn.to/3WEWMpg

Tempura Crumbles “Tenkasu”: https://amzn.to/3A4LcuP

Bulk Soy Sauce (my favorite): https://amzn.to/3A0Tioa

Takoyaki Sauce: https://amzn.to/3Wo8F1w

Red “Azuki” Beans: https://amzn.to/3WLqVDy

Premade Red Bean Paste (short cut): https://amzn.to/4dq9myl

Ube Flavoring: https://amzn.to/4c7AjWf

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Okonomiyaki (Savory Japanese Pancake)

お好み焼き

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Okonomiyaki (2 Ways)

Ingredients

Osaka Okonomiyaki

• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2/3 cup Dashi
• 1 tsp Mirin
• 2 Eggs
• 2 cups Cabbage, finely shredded
• ¼ cup Scallions
• ¼ cup Tenkasu (Tempura bits)
• 2-3 strips pork belly, sliced thin
• Okonomiyaki Sauce
• Kewpie Mayo
• Aonori (seaweed flakes)
• Red or Pink Pickled Ginger

Hiroshima Okonomiyaki

• 2/3 cup Dashi
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Mirin
• 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• Green Cabbage, thinly sliced
• Bean Sprouts
• Pork Belly, sliced thin
• Tempura Crumbles
• Soba Noodles, cooked and chilled
• 1 Egg
• Okonomiyaki Sauce, for garnish
• Aonori seaweed flakes, for garnish
• Tokyo Negi or Scallions, sliced thin for garnish
• Red Ginger, for garnish

Okonomiyaki Sauce

• 3 Tbps Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 Tbsp Ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Honey or Corn Syrup

Instructions

Osaka Okonomiyaki

1. Mix all batter ingredients together like a pancake.
2. Add to hot, oiled plancha. Add on strips of pork. Cook intil nbottom is golden brown, then flip.
3. Cook until pork is cooked into the pancake and the other side is golden brown, a few minutes.
4. Flip again, brush on okonomiyaki sauce, add katsuabushi then more sauce then mayo.

Hiroshima Okonomiyaki

1. Make disc of batter on plancha.
2. Add some powdered katsuabushi then the cabbage and bean sprouts then season.
3. Add strips of pork on veg. Drizzle more batter and add tmpuera flakes. Flip
4. Flip. Let cook for minute.
5. Add soba noodles to grill and cook formed into a circle. Lift veg on top of noodles.
6. Crack add and form into circle. Place noodle on top of egg. Let cook then flip again so egg side is up.
7. Add okonomiyaki sauce with brush, seaweed flakes, negi and pink ginger for garnich. Serve.

Okonomiyaki Sauce

1. Mix everything together. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or sealable container.

Takoyaki (Japanese Octopus Balls)

たこ焼き

Yield: 10-15 Takoyaki

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Takoyaki (Japanese Octopus Balls)

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Kosher Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1 ½ cups Dashi
• Octopus, cooked cut in small cube
• Scallions, sliced thin
• Neutral Oil
• Tenkasu (tempura bits)
• Pickled ginger (red), chopped
• Takoyaki Sauce *see note

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.
2. In a large bowl, add the dashi, soy sauce and eggs. Whisk until smooth.
3. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture to the dashi mixture by thirds to ensure a smooth batter. Transfer the batter to a measuring cup or other container that is easy to pour.
4. Preheat the takoyaki pan on medium heat. Brush neutral oil in each hole and on the surrounding edges of the pan making sure that there is a small amount of oil pooled at the bottom of each hole.
5. Carefully pour the batter half way in each hole. Add a small piece of cooked octopus or SPAM in each hole then sprinkle the scallions, ginger and tempura bits over the top. Cook until the batter is set.
6. Use a wooden skewer to turn the half dome balls upright and turn them pushing the ingredients into the hole as you do so. After 4-5 minutes the balls should be cooked, browned and rounded out.
7. Remove the cooked takoyaki balls from the pan and situate on a serving plate. Garnish with takoyaki sauce (or okonomiyaki sauce), mayonnaise, aonori (seaweed flakes) and a generous amount of katsuobushi. CRUSH!

Adam's Notes

• Takoyaki sauce is very similar to Okonomiyaki sauce. Sometimes okonomiyaki sauce is used in it's place on Takoyaki. Feel free to sub out okonomiyaki sauce for takoyaki sauce if you cannot find it or want to make it from scratch.

Taiyaki (Japanese “Fish shaped” Dessert)

鯛焼き

Yield: 6-10

Print

Taiyaki (Japanese "Fish shaped" Dessert)

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 5 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 20 M

Ingredients

Batter

• 1 cup Cake Flour (125g)
• 3 tablespoons Cornstarch (25g)
• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda (2.5g)
• ½ teaspoon Baking Powder (2g)
• 1 ½ tablespoons Sugar (20g)
• ½ tablespoon Honey (10g)
• 1 Egg (50g)
• ⅔ cup Whole Milk (150g)
• Pinch of Kosher Salt (1g)
• 1/2 tsp drop Vanilla Extract or Ube Flavoring (2g)
• Neutral Oil (as needed)
• 1 cup Red Bean Paste (Anko) *see recipe below

Sweet Red Bean Paste (Anko)

• 1 ¼ cup dried Azuki "Red" Beans
• Water, for soaking
• 1 ¼ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt, to taste

Instructions

Batter

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and a pinch of salt. Set aside
2. In another mixing bowl whisk together the egg, milk and vanilla extract or ube flavoring if using.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and whisk in the wet ingredients incrementally to form a smooth batter with no air bubbles. Cover and chill the batter for 30 minutes.
4. While the batter chills, prepare your filling ingredients. (see below).
5. Brush neutral oil into the taiyaki pan and wipe off the excess with a paper towel.
6. Preheat the pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Then spoon in a tablespoon of batter ensuring to cover the entire fish and up to the edges to ensure a good seal. Cover the pan and flip, repeat on the other side. Add in your filling of choice followed by another tablespoon of batter. Close the pan and continue to flip for even cooking.
7. Carefully remove the fish from the pan and trim off excess overhang with a pair of scissors. CRUSH!

Sweet Red Bean Paste (Anko)

1. Rinse the beans. Strain.
2. Cover with 4 times the amount of water as beans. Bring to boil over high heat then reduce to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove and strain.
3. Add the beans to a pot with fresh water about 2 inches over the beans. Simmer until tender, 45 minutes to an hour. Once tender, cover with a lid and let the beans sit for 30 minutes to ensure they are cooked through. Strain the beans.
4. In another small pot, add the sugar, pinch of salt and water. Heat over medium and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Once dissolved, add the beans and cook over high heat and stir and smash until the beans turn into a paste. Cool the paste and use as needed.

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