Takoyaki

Ingredients

Dumpling and fillings:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 2/3 cups iced dashi soup
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 lb. boiled octopus, cut into bite-size pieces**
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
• 1/3 cup tempura scraps, panko crumbs, or rice krispies
• 1/4 cup finely chopped benishoga (pickled red ginger)
• 1/4 cup dried sakura ebi (red shrimp), optional

For toppings:

• Takoyaki sauce
• Mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie)
• Aonori (green seaweed powder)
• Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in cold dashi, eggs, and soy sauce to make the batter.
2. Preheat a takoyaki or aebleskiver pan over medium-high heat and grease the molds with oil. Pour batter into each mold until full. Put octopus, green onion, tempura scraps, red ginger, and dried red shrimp in each mold. When  the bottoms of the balls have hardened, break the connecting batter in between each bowl and turn each takoyaki 180 degrees with skewers or takoyaki picks, stuffing in the edges as you are turning. Continue to grill the takoyaki, flipping with the skewers to make balls. When browned on all sides, remove takoyaki from the pan and place on a plate. 
3. Put sauce and mayonnaise on top and sprinkle aonori and bonito flakes over. Serve immediately.

Substitutions:

**If you don't like octopus, you can use boiled hot dog, sausage, fish cake, tofu, mochi pieces, etc.