Kimchi Octopus Balls (Korean-Style Takoyaki with Fermented Kimchi)

Cut 100 g boiled octopus and 70 g well-drained kimchi into 1 cm pieces, then finely chop 20 g scallion.

Press the kimchi once more by hand so extra liquid does not loosen the batter.

Put 120 g takoyaki flour mix, 300 ml water, and 1 egg in a bowl.

Whisk just until the lumps disappear and the batter is thin, stopping before it becomes heavily worked.

Heat the takoyaki pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then brush the wells generously with 2 tablespoons cooking oil.

Pour in the batter until each well reaches the rim.

Add octopus, kimchi, and scallion evenly to the wells, keeping the pieces tucked into the batter.

Leave them untouched for 1 full minute so the bottoms set and the rounds do not tear.

When the edges turn pale and set, rotate each piece 90 degrees with a skewer.

Fill any gaps with a little batter and keep turning so the loose sides close into round balls.

Keep rotating until the outside is golden and crisp while the center still feels softly set.

Plate the balls, then finish with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and 5 g bonito flakes.