Beni Shoga Takoyaki Recipe With Takoyaki Sauce

Author: Joost Nusselder, author of The Essential Japanese meal planner cookbook Updated August 4, 2022

Takoyaki has such a nice creamy center, hidden away behind a golden crispy exterior.

But did you know octopus isn’t the only ingredient that makes these so delicious?

No! You also need a little beni shoga pickled ginger to get the right amount of spice in from the ginger, and acidity from the pickling.

Let’s make a batch!

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In this post we'll cover:

• 1 Beni Shoga Takoyaki Recipe With Takoyaki Sauce
  • 1.1 Ingredients  1x2x3x
  • 1.2 Instructions 
• 2 What flavor does beni shoga add?
• 3 Can you substitute beni shoga for something else?

Beni Shoga Takoyaki Recipe With Takoyaki Sauce

Joost Nusselder

Adding beni shoga to your takoyaki filling will elevate the octopus and batter flavor to new heights. Everyone needs a little spice and acidity to activate that palate.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups dashi
• 5 oz octopus (cooked and cubed, around 1/3-inch each)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 green onions sliced
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1½ cups flour
• 2 tbsp beni shoga chopped (a type of red pickled ginger)
• takoyaki or okonomiyaki sauce (you might even get away with using tonkatsu sauce)
• 1 tbsp katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
• 1½ tsp Aonori green seaweed
• Japanese mayo

Instructions

 

• Get a large mixing bowl and whisk eggs, soy sauce, and salt together until it becomes vacuous.
• Place the takoyaki pan on the stove and brush it with light oil only in the holes, then heat it up until the oil starts smoking. Spread the oil using a brush thoroughly to coat the holes of the pan. This way, you'll keep the batter from sticking to the pan. After that, you may now pour the batter into the holes.
• While the batter is being cooked, drop the diced octopus meat in each hole, and then drizzle it with the chopped onions as well as the minced ginger throughout the takoyaki pan.
• Cook the takoyaki balls for about 1-2 minutes at medium heat and then flip them over using special takoyaki picks like these, bamboo or metal skewers, or even chopsticks. Cook the other half of the batter for another 3-4 minutes before transferring them to a clean plate and let cool.
• Once cooked, put them on a clean plate and pour the takoyaki sauce over them thoroughly, then add Japanese mayo to taste. To complete the dish and make them ready for serving, sprinkle it with green dried seaweed called “aonori” and dried bonito flakes called “katsuobushi.”

Keyword Takoyaki

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What flavor does beni shoga add?

Beni shoga is a popular Japanese condiment made from pickled red ginger. It has a slightly sweet and sour taste, with a hint of spiciness.

Beni shoga is often used to add flavor to dishes such as sushi, sashimi, noodles, and rice bowls. It can also be used as a garnish or topping for various foods.

Can you substitute beni shoga for something else?

Yes, you can substitute beni shoga for other condiments such as wasabi, ginger, or another pickled ginger like gari. However, keep in mind that beni shoga will add a slightly different flavor to your dish.

Also read: these are the best flavor variations for takoyaki, all in one article

Check out our new cookbook

Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.

Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:

Read for free

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.