One of my favorite dessert is Taiyaki or Japanese Puff with Red Bean Paste filling. It looks like a fish with filling inside using Taiyaki molding. Red bean paste has sweet flavor and dense with Azuki bean or red bean. This snack or dessert Taiyaki is really filling my stomach and taste delicious!
The process of making Taiyaki can be very challenging because it requires fire charcoal if you have gas stove that might make it easy to grill Taiyaki. However, if you don't have gas stove then using grill you have to cook Taiyaki. How you cook and what you use to cook can give some different flavor. I find that using fire charcoal make the Taiyaki come out the best flavor from my experiences of trying many ways.
Menu Ingredients Serving for 4
Tool you might need is a Taiyaki Molding which you can find to buy it at amazon or Asian Market Store. I found my at World Market Store. Usually will be nonstick molding pan.
Taiyaki Ingredients
1 and 1/4 cups of Cake Flour
1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
3 tablespoons of Sugar
1 Large Egg
3/4 cup of Whole Milk
1 tablespoon of Vegetable Oil (for greasing the grill)
Sweet Red Bean Paste or Anko (for filling)
Taiyaki Preparation
In a medium mixing bowl, mixed dry ingredients; cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar then added egg and milk and mixed until everything corporate.
Transfer the batter into an easy pouring cup and set aside.
Prepare Taiyaki molding with greasing vegetable oil and put the molding over the charcoal grill until the molding feel hot.
Poured batter enough to cover the fish shape and let it cook for about 2 minutes then added 1 tablespoon of Anko (Sweet Red Bean Paste) over at the same side then poured batter over the Anko and cover the mold quickly (make sure it log) and turn another side and let it cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Keep checking and turn the side back and forth until Taiyaki looks golden brown.
Make more as the same process until have enough to serving on a table.
*Note: when you have a lot and have some left over, these Teriyaki can store in refrigerator for 3 to 5 days and can warm up in a toaster for 2 to 3 minutes.
*Tip: when cooking the Taiyaki make sure poured the batter just enough for each side because if put too much won't make each not even. To get the perfect as shown on the picture might need some practice. It took me 2 to 3 times to get great Taiyaki.
Serving for afternoon tea with some green tea or homemade lemon tea, eat as grab and go snack, or can bring for picnic is also a great choice for dessert.
