HomeMade Halal Takoyaki

It is a special day today as I am planning to celebrate beloved wife's birthday in advance... in a special way.

Breaking the norms of past years celebration when we would go for 'makan', this time round I decided to prepare her favourite 'pasar malam' i.e. takoyaki at the comfort of our home kitchen. Furthermore, it is also an opportunity for both of us to collaborate in making our very own takoyaki.

Prior preparations have started a few days back, starting with some research and feedback gathering from those who had experience in making their own homemade takoyaki.

The Pan

 

First, I began sourcing for a suitable pan. With the help of a friend, the internet and online shopping app nowadays, it was almost effortless when I managed to purchase the takoyaki pan via Lazada app (aka http://www.lazada.sg). At Lazada, there is a variety of takoyaki pans to choose from. Depending on your budget and preference, you may select a pan ranging from 12 holes to 18 holes. A pan with handle is retailed as low as S$45 (12 holes) whereas an electric pan at S$118 (18 holes). Well, that may still sound pricey but thankfully, Lazada is always having promotion. I ordered a 12 holes pan with handle at S$21.91 (after 69% off from retail price S$79.90 and a further 15% discount for payment with POSB/DBS Mastercard). Delivery of item was surprisingly fast as it only took 1 day to receive my order.

The Ingredients 

It is a known fact that as a Muslim, we have to conscientiously consume foods and drinks that are permissible in accordance to our religious guidelines. With the exception of raw foods such as fruits, vegetables, fishes, etc, Muslims often relied on products with Halal label (a certification given by an accredited Islamic body of a particular country) for assurance that the food products meets the religious requirements for Muslim's consumption. However, in the absence of the label, it is in the best interest of the practicing Muslim to find out that the food that he/she is about to consume, does not contain any forbidden (e.g. pork, alcohol) or doubtful (e.g. lecithin) ingredients. To learn more on Halal foods, please visit http://halal.sg/Consumer/basic-principles.html

The following ingredients were used for our takoyaki:

1.  Flour

2.  Egg

3.  Water
4.  Octopus (Tako). Can also try alternatives such as cheese sausage, crab meat, tuna, etc.

5.  Vegetable Oil

6.  Japanese Mayonnaise

7.  Takoyaki Sauce
8.  Bonito Flakes (Katsuobushi). It is actually dried, smoked tuna.

9.  Seaweed Powder (Aonori)

Making Takoyaki

1.  In preparing the batter, a large container is used to mix 300gm of flour with 250ml of water using a whisk.


2.  While heating the pan, I use a brush to leave drops of oil in the holes. As it is a non-stick pan, I only use a considerably amount of oil.


3.  Pouring the batter to the holes and adding the octopus took little effort. However, it is only with a couple of trials and errors before my takoyaki began to form into pleasant-looking balls.


4.  A few minutes later and with constant turning of the takoyaki using satay sticks, the takoyaki are almost ready to be served. A considerably amount of bonito flakes are then spread over it followed by takoyaki sauce, Japanese Mayonnaise and lastly seaweed powder.

What a way to spend the weekend with love... :)