[Essential Takoyaki-related Utensils]
►Takoyaki Pan (can get from Taka Talking Hall, Meidi-Ya or OG Chinatown, prices vary from $15 - $60+ depending on the size and no of holes. Most are gas stove based, but some are electric sets or mini portable fuel based ones)
►Takoyaki Picks (1 pair) (Daiso, ONE pick is $2)
►Oil Brush (Daiso)
[Other Utensils]
►Measuring cup
►Large mixing bowl
►Knife
►Cutting Board
►Metal Ladle (should be those strong enough to mix the batter and not bend)
[Takoyaki Batter]
►Cooking Oil
►Packet Takoyaki Flour (Some packs are 250g, some are 300g. This makes ~50-60 balls respectively. Japanese section of some supermarkets or Daiso)
►Eggs
►Water
[Fillings]
this one is entirely up to you, but recommended stuff includes
►Octopus (Tako), available at those sushi/sashimi sections of supermarkets
►Cheese
►Mushroom (I like to use shimeji)
►Salami/pepperoni/any other kinds of deli meat
►Toriage pieces
►Shrimp
►Salmon pieces
►Crabstick
►Spring onions
[Sauce/Toppings]
►Takoyaki Sauce, Tonkatsu Sauce (Bulldog Fruit Sauce, the orange label one) or worse comes to worse, Worchestershire Sauce (Jap section of supermarkets)
►Bonito Flakes (Jap section of supermarkets, Daiso)
►Mayonnaise (Not necessary to use those Japanese ones but up to you)
Stuff listed are those traditionally used, but up to you to exercise your creativity
1) Cut up all the ingredients to be used as fillings into small enough pieces and put aside
2) In a large mixing bowl, stir in 2 eggs (or whatever is written on the packet) into the flour. The flour and egg mixture should be crumbly at this stage.
3) Pour in the water (as indicated on the packet, can't remember the exact amount) bit by bit and stir. It is important that you do not dump in all at one shot as your takoyaki batter will be very lumpy. When all the water has been added, you Takoyaki batter may seem very watery but that is how it is.
4) Preheat the pan and oil it with the brush. When pan is hot enough, pour in enough batter into each hole until it overflows slightly.
5) When takoyaki is starting to cook, place in your fillings. Use a pick to poke a filling piece and shove it into the centre of the holes. Cover up any part of the pan that is not covered with batter with more batter. If you use spring onions, you can just scatter them on top.
6) To check whether you can start to turn them over, use a pick to try peel off the batter on the flat surface outside the holes. If they come off cleanly, you can use the picks to peel them and place onto the nearest hole. Poke the edge of a hole. The takoyaki should readily come off. Flip the takoyakis bottoms up.
7) Rotate them in the holes occasionally to ensure they come out round. First tries may end up with a half takoyaki or an inperfect one with a gaping hole. This is normal and part of the learning process ^^
8) When golden brown all over, serve them immediately topped with bonito flakes, mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce. Takoyaki is best served piping hot, but dont burn your tongue
PS: Dont forget to reoil the pan after each batch, and make sure you stir the batter before the next batch, as the batter will settle after a while. Dont be overzealous with buying the fillings either, as more often than not, you'll find yourself with too much leftover fillings and not enough batter at the end of your takoyaki cookout. Of course you can always make use of the takoyaki pan to grill/fry them though.
PPS: It is said that there is no household in Osaka without a Takoyaki pan ^^
Enjoy
For Reference
Supermarkets which have a Japanese section includes some NTUC Fairprice outlets, Cold Storage, Giant Hypermarket & Carrefour[?sp]. Alternatively, Japanese supermarkets include Meidi-Ya @ Liang Court and Isetan @ Shaw House. Daiso stocks some essential utensils and some ingredients too.