I love Takoyaki and have been thinking of making it at home, so when my sister-in-law gave me a Takoyaki pan (along with a packet of Takoyaki mix) for Christmas, I was over the moon!

“Takoyaki” is “Octopus Balls”.. essentially flour batter filled with octopus pieces and tempura scraps then grilled in a Takoyaki pan til slightly crispy. When done right, the result is a piping hot, slightly crispy ball with a gooey, cheesy interior (I always add cheese!).  I don’t particularly like octopus, so the filling I use include shrimp, bacon, ham, sausage and lots of cheese! You can use whatever other ingredients you like. And because I don’t have tempura scraps, I substituted with Calbee prawn crackers. It works!

We can get Takoyaki easily in Singapore.. but they are nowhere near the ones I’ve had in Osaka. I like “Takopachi” at Bugis and Takashimaya basement, but am not a fan of “Wow Tako” at PS and various other locations. What to do but to make my own? :)

The batter will look runny and is nowhere near the consistency of your cake batter and it is normal. It will separate easily and that is normal too. Just whisk the mixture again just before cooking. The key thing is to practise and don’t be afraid of pouring “too much batter”.. my first batch of takoyaki was adorably small because I poured the batter only within the holes!

I asked my sister-in-law where she got the pan and she said she ordered it online from Qoo10 for less than $30 and received it in 2-3 days.

I have a Takoyaki party planned for Chinese New Year. Can’t wait!

The post Homemade Takoyaki appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

I have a love-hate relationship with Saba (mackerel) fish. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I don’t. Most times I do, depending on my mood. The same can’t be said about my relationship with fried chicken or hainanese curry png. I always love fried chicken and hainanese curry png. There’s no two ways about it.

Eating fish is “supposed to be” a healthy affair. Fish is good for you yes, but before you order that saba fish set from the food court Japanese stall, have you wondered how it is prepared? Peep into their kitchen next time you order Japanese food and you’ll most probably see the cook drop a perfect saba fish into the deep fryer. Yes, most of these “healthy” saba sets are deep fried to save time.

The fish above was airfried for 8 minutes. No oil was added and the “fishy smell” wasn’t too bad at all as compared to panfrying. There was minimal clean up (just soak the airfryer basket, wash and go!) and the fish came out perfect. With the Philips Airfryer, I never cook fish any other way, unless if the fish is too big to fit, then I use the oven.

The fish was moist and flaked beautifully. If you prefer, you can add some grated ginger plus ginger juice to your teriyaki sauce. I left that out because I was pressed for time, but this fish was still amazing and flavourful as it is. I’ll never order deep fried saba fish outside ever again. This is the absolute best way to enjoy fish.. lightly prepared with zero oil. Try this, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

The post Teriyaki Saba Fish (mackerel fish with homemade teriyaki sauce) appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Lotus root is one of my favourite food because I identify with it. What? Yeah. Lotus root looks tough on the outside but when you cook them, they release such delicate flavours that makes you wonder if they’re the same entity as the “before cooking” version.

I usually use lotus roots in soups or a quick stir-fry, but I also like to make lotus root chips in my Philips Airfryer. Slice them up real thin and spray on some cooking oil. They become the most amazing snack in 15 minutes. Today I’m going to make burgers out of them. I got the idea of a lotus root burger from Nami, and slightly changed the recipe to include chopped prawns and water chestnuts and I also omitted the sauce. I could eat 20 of these because they’re so good, so delicately crispy and light, with the sweetness of pork, prawns and water chestnuts in every bite.

You can make a sauce to go along with these. Combine 80ml water with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon mirin and cook til simmering. Add cornstarch solution (half tablespoon corn starch with 1 tablespoon water, mixed) and stir to combine. This will yield a sweet sauce that you can pour over the burgers. I omitted this step because I just felt like eating these with chilli sauce and ketchup, like finger food. They’re quite darn good!

The post Panfried Lotus Root Burger appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

There is an interesting story behind Mapo Tofu , literally translated as “Pock Mark Lady’s Tofu”. The Mapo Tofu we have here in Singapore is usually very spicy, with Szechuan chili oil used so liberally you would have thought they were free. We’re not fans of chili oil, so when eating out, we always order “Hotplate Tofu” instead– deep fried egg tofu, vegetables and cracked egg covered with non-spicy brown sauce, served on a sizzling hotplate.

So when I came across this Mapo Tofu which didn’t look too intimidating, heat-wise, I decided to have a go at it. The ingredients are basic and low cost, and the dish looks incredibly delicious over rice. My family loved it.

Makes 3-4 servings
(Adapted from Just One Cookbook with slight changes)

What I used:

1 block tofu, cut into cubes like in the picture (I used Unicurd brand “Chinese Tofu“)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
150g minced pork (you can use chicken)
2 sprigs of spring onions, cut thinly with scissors
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the sauce (combine everything together):

2 tablespoon chili bean paste
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon sugar
Half teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water (about 65ml)

1. Heat up the oil and fry ginger and garlic til fragrant. Add the minced meat and quickly break it up with your spatula or wooden spoon.
2. When the meat is no longer pink, add in the sauce. Stir to combine.
3. Add the tofu and briefly mix. Don’t break up the tofu or touch it too much. Heat through for 1-2 minutes til you see small bubbles in the pan.
4. Turn off the heat and sprinkle spring onions before serving.

How much I spent:

$0.75 for tofu
$1.50 for minced meat
Everything else from my pantry!

Total cost per serving: $0.57

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This dish can be served straight over rice in a large bowl, along with a simple clear soup. It is so easy to make, I’m sure I’ll see it more often during dinner, especially on days when I’m not too creative or just plain lazy!

The post Mapo Tofu with mild spicy bean paste appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.