Vegetarian Takoyaki (Octopus Balls)

Satisfy your street food cravings with this creative spin on a Japanese classic: Vegetarian Takoyaki! These golden, crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside "octopus balls" trade traditional seafood for a flavorful filling of diced shiitake mushrooms, creamy potato, and fresh green onions. Made from a simple batter of all-purpose flour, vegetable broth, and a touch of soy sauce, these bite-sized delights are cooked to perfection in a takoyaki pan and finished with iconic toppings like tangy takoyaki sauce, creamy mayo, and shredded toasted nori. Perfect for vegetarians or anyone looking to explore new meat-free flavors, this recipe brings the vibrant experience of Japanese street food straight to your table. Easy to make and irresistibly delicious, these vegetarian takoyaki are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

Nutriscore Rating: 64/100

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-purpose flour
• 1 cup Vegetable broth
• 1 large Egg
• 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt
• 0.5 cup Diced shiitake mushrooms
• 0.25 cup Diced cooked potato (optional substitute for texture)
• 2 tablespoons Chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil (for greasing)
• 0.25 cup Takoyaki sauce
• 0.25 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Bonito flake substitute (e.g., shredded toasted nori)
• 1 teaspoon Aonori (seaweed flakes)

Directions

Step 1

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, vegetable broth, egg, soy sauce, baking powder, and salt until you have a smooth batter. Set aside.

Step 2

Prepare the filling by finely dicing the shiitake mushrooms and cooked potatoes. Mix in the green onions.

Step 3

Preheat a takoyaki pan over medium heat and lightly grease the molds with vegetable oil.

Step 4

Pour batter into each mold, filling them about three-quarters full.

Step 5

Add a small amount of the prepared filling (mushroom, potato, and green onion) to the center of each mold.

Step 6

Add a little more batter on top of the filling to seal it in.

Step 7

As the takoyaki starts to cook, use a skewer, chopstick, or takoyaki pick to turn the balls halfway, allowing uncooked batter to flow out and form a round shape. Continue to rotate until the balls are evenly golden brown and cooked through.

Step 8

Once all takoyaki are cooked through, remove them from the pan and place them on a serving platter.

Step 9

Drizzle the takoyaki with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, then sprinkle with shredded toasted nori (or another bonito substitute) and aonori.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(771.6g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	1489.6

Total Fat 82.2g	0%
Saturated Fat 10.6g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.7g
Cholesterol 278.3mg	0%
Sodium 3941.4mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 162.3g	0%
Dietary Fiber 10.9g	0%
Total Sugars 22.3g
Protein 29.6g	0%

Vitamin D 246.3IU	0%
Calcium 100.2mg	0%
Iron 9.0mg	0%
Potassium 1367.7mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 49.1%

Protein: 7.9%

Carbs: 43.1%