Taiyaki

I have solved the mystery of the missing musubi maker. It’s not really missing- I just forgot I gave it away as a gift to my fairy godmother who gave me my pasta maker. How can I forget? Anyway, I went to Mitsuwa Market last Saturday to get another one and was surprised because it is way pricier than the one I got from Marukai. Well it was so hot then and I didn’t feel like driving from one store to another so I decided to just get what’s there and looked around for condiments when I saw a taiyaki maker. For those who don't know what taiyaki is- it is stuffed pancake cooked in a fish shaped mold. I just need to get one! I bought a bag of azuki beans too so I can make my filling and the rest will be for my shave ice treats.

Making taiyaki is easy and so much fun. I already have my sweetened red beans and I used my old fool-proof pancake recipe which I think is best suited for taiyaki. The first ones came out crispy maybe because I didn't want to put too much batter lest it overflows but the rest were plump and soft in the right places. It's cool that I'm making it myself because I could put a generous amount of red beans. I love it! It was like eating dorayaki.

I think it's only proper that I rate this taiyaki maker. It is user-friendly, very easy to clean and it also makes good pancakes. I was prepared to have the first pair as sacrificial ones; but they came out okay. I couldn't complain about the rest of the pancakes. All you need is a good pancake batter, the right temperature and cooking time and you're good to go.


Here's my pancake recipe for a successful taiyaki.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tbsp sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large beaten eggs
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups milk
sweetened red beans

Directions:
Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl then add the wet ingredients.
Mix well till all lumps disappear.
Brush the four cavities of the taiyaki maker with vegetable oil
Pour or spoon pancake batter in the two cavities
Top each with a tablespoon of red beans
Spoon some more pancake batter over the top to cover the red beans
Put the lid on top and secure with the little hasp in the handle
Place on the stove over low heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
Repeat the process with the rest of the batter
Serve with tea or your favorite drink