MOCHI

Mochi is a popular Japanese sweet, it is sweet and chewy. Mochi is usually made from sweet rice cooked and pounded until it becomes a paste which they will become very sticky and has a smooth texture. It is easy to make at home. Give it a try!

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

45 mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 cup sweetened red bean paste (coarse)
1 cup (150g) sweet rice flour/ glutinous rice flour
¾ cup (180ml) filtered water
A drop of red food colouring
2 pinches Kosher salt
½ cup (100g) potato starch/ corn starch (for dusting)

Instructions

In a bowl combine rice flour, salt, water and food colouring. Mix them all just to combine.
Microwave Method: If you’re using a microwave to cook mochi, cover the bowl with some plastic wrap (do not cover too tight). Put the bowl in the microwave and heat it on high heat (1100w) for 1 minute. Take it out and stir with wet rubber spatula for about 30-40 times. Cover again and cook for 1 minute. Stir again, cover, and cook for 30 seconds to finish cooking. The color of mochi should change from white to almost translucent.
Steaming Method: If you’re using a steamer, cover the steamer lid with a towel so the condensation won’t drop into the mochi mixture. Put the bowl into a steamer basket and cover to cook for 10-15 minutes. Half way cooking, stir with wet rubber spatula and cover to finish cooking. The color of mochi should change from white to almost translucent.
Cover the work surface with parchment paper and dust it generously with potato starch. Then transfer the cooked mochi on top.
To prevent from sticking, sprinkle more potato starch on top of the mochi. Once it’s cool down a bit, you can spread the mochi into a thin layer with your hands or with a rolling pin. Make sure to apply potato starch on your hands and the rolling pin. Use a rolling pin because it’s easier to evenly spread out.
Transfer the mochi with parchment paper onto a large baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes until the mochi is set.
Take out the mochi from the refrigerator and cut out 7-8 circles with the cookie cutter.
Dust off the excess potato starch with a pastry brush. If you find some sticky part, cover the area with potato starch first then dust off. Place a plastic wrap on a plate and then mochi wrapper on top, then lay another layer of plastic wrapper down. Repeat for all wrappers. With leftover mochi dough, roll into a ball and then flatten into a thin layer again and cut out into more circle wrapper
On the work surface, place one sheet of plastic wrap with a mochi layer on top. Using the ice cream scoop, scoop out red bean paste on top of the mochi wrapper.
Pinch the four corners of the mochi layer together to wrap the red bean paste. Then pinch the remaining corners together.
Put some potato starch on the sealed area and set aside. Continue making the rest of mochi and serve.