Easy Mochi Recipes

HOW TO: MAKE MOCHI

Steps:

• Prepare mochi mixture. Add rice flour, corn flour, sugar, ¼ tsp oil and water, mix well and allow this mixture to rest for 30 minutes.
• Steam mochi dough. Place the mixture in a steamer, cover with a clean cloth and steam for 15 minutes. Once the mixture is cooked, remove from steamer. Add in the remaining oil and mix well. Leave to cool.
• Knead the mochi. Transfer the mixture out onto a wax-paper lined traywhen warm enough to handle. Knead and stretch until the mixture is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 mins. Place the mochi in a bowl, cover with cling wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 15 mins.

MOCHI

Steps:

• In a bowl (I use a souffle-size bowl, around 2 cups) stir together the rice flour and sugar.
• While mixing with a spoon or small stiff spatula, pour in the boiling water.
• Stir in clockwise direction until the lumps disappear, and the batter is slightly elasticky, about 2 minutes (note: it will become difficult to stir, but try your best anyway!).
• Cover the container with plastic wrap, and microwave on HIGH for 2-4 minutes, depending on your microwave.
• Meanwhile, grease a ziploc bag well.
• Invert the bag (oil side out), and remove the mochi from the bowl into the bag (you can let it cool a bit before you do this, but the more you cool it, the harder the bowl will become to clean =/). Don't burn yourself!
• While the mochi is still warm, start kneading. To knead: Stretch and flatten the dough inside the bag with the palm of your hand, then pick up the bag at one corner, shake it so that it rolls into a ball again, then repeat. You can also knead it by placing the mochi into a greased bowl, and knead it as you would a normal dough. Knead for about 7~10 minutes, or to the consistency (chewiness) you want.
• To prepare the coating: Process the peanuts in a blender or food processor, and spread the powder out in a plate. Do not add sugar to the coating! Because the sugar will dissolve with the moisture in the mochi, making it super sticky.
• Pull off a teaspoonful-sized mochi ball with your hand, and coat in peanut powder. Alternatively, if you prepared it inside a bag, cut off a 1/4" corner, and squeeze from the bag. Separate the balls with greased scissors, or with chopsticks =P.
• Enjoy!
• Variations: Instead of using a coating, you could also wrap sweet red bean paste inside the mochi for daifukus =).

SIMPLE MOCHI

Steps:

• Mix mochiko and sugar in a bowl.
• Add water and mix thoroughly. (will be watery).
• Put in a microwaveable dish. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Take off plastic wrap. Cool for a few minutes, if you want. Cut. Serve.
• Opt. Dust with katakuriko or kinako to prevent mochi from sticking everywhere. If you don't have these, you can just put the mochi on cellophane.
• Variations for Filling: You can add red bean paste, ice cream, chocolate, etc. in the middle if you want BEFORE you dust. add a teaspoon of filling and pinch edges closed.
• Variations for Dough: Add a few drops of food coloring into batter for color variation. A few drops of flavoring (strawberry, grape, orange, blueberry, etc.) may also be added. >> For chocolate flavor, stir about 1/4 cup melted chocolate chips into mochi batter before cooking.

HOMEMADE MOCHI

Steps:

• For the mochi dough base: Wash the rice gently until the water runs clear, 5 to 8 times, then drain. Cook the rice with 2 1/2 cups water in a rice cooker according to the manufacturer directions for sushi/sweet rice, about 30 minutes.
• Place the cooked rice in a wooden or stone bowl. (I don't recommend stainless steel or plastic bowls, which will make the rice wet or too soft.) Smash the rice with a thick wooden stick or pestle. Use your hands to turn the rice and continue to pound with the stick until it is a smooth and sticky dough, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Portion out 20 to 24 mochi, about 2 tablespoons of dough per portion. Have a small bowl of water nearby to lightly wet hands if the dough is too sticky. Shape each portion into a round patty about 1 1/2 inches thick and dust each side of the mochi with mochiko or potato starch.
• For the mochi toppings: To make a sweet miso sauce, combine the miso, sugar and sake in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add your desired number of plain mochi and grill, brushing with soy sauce a couple of times on each side, until the mochi are caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Brush some of the remaining plain mochi (reserve some of them to serve with the sweet toppings) with about 1 tablespoon of the sweet miso sauce and top with a sprinkle of shichimi. To serve the savory mochi, wrap the soy-grilled and sweet miso-glazed mochi in nori and place on a plate or platter.
• For the sweet mochi toppings: Mix the kinako with the sugar in a small bowl. Dip to coat both sides of your desired number of mochi. Top each remaining plain mochi with adzuki paste, then sprinkle with the remaining kinako sugar, if desired. Serve on a plate or platter.

EASY MOCHI

Steps:

• Wrap red bean paste in aluminum foil and place in the freezer for at least 3 hours. Mix sweet rice flour and green tea powder thoroughly in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. Stir in water, then sugar. Mix until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
• Cook the rice flour mixture in the microwave for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Meanwhile, remove red bean paste from the freezer and divide paste into 8 equal balls. Set aside. Stir rice flour mixture and heat for another 15 to 30 seconds.
• Dust work surface with cornstarch. While the mochi is still hot from the microwave, begin rolling balls the size of about 2 tablespoons. Flatten the mochi ball and place 1 frozen red bean paste ball in the center. Pinch the mochi over the red bean paste until the paste is completely covered. Sprinkle with additional cornstarch and place mochi seam side down in a paper muffin liner to prevent sticking. Repeat until all the mochi and red bean paste is used.

RED BEAN DAIFUKU MOCHI RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the red bean paste: Rinze the adzuki beans in a colander under cold running water. Pick out any damaged beans and discard.
• Add the beans and 1¼ cups (300 grams) of water to a rice cooker. Cook on the "normal" setting for about 1½ hours. The beans should still be firm.
• Transfer the beans back to the colander and rinse under cold running water. Return the beans to the rice cooker and add the remaining ½ cup (120 grams) of water. Cook on the "normal" setting for another 1½ hours, until the beans are very tender and cooked through.
• Add the sugar and salt and stir to combine with a rubber spatula. Close the lid of the rice cooker and let sit for 30 minutes for the beans to absorb the sugar.
• Transfer the beans to a medium bowl and mash with a wooden spoon until mostly smooth.
• Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the bean paste on the prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool to room temperature, until pliable with a texture similar to play dough. If too dry, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight, to chill. If it is too sticky, microwave in 90-second intervals until the water has evaporated. The red bean paste will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let come to room temperature before proceeding.
• Make the mochi dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and water until very smooth. Push the dough through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean medium bowl if needed to remove any lumps. (Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth).
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave the dough in 60-second intervals, stirring between, until the mochi is halfway transparent, 3-4 minutes total. Continue microwaving in 15-30-seconds intervals, stirring between, until fully transparent and glossy, 1-2 minutes more.
• Use a sieve to generously dust a clean surface with cornstarch.
• Turn the mochi dough onto the dusted surface and let the steam release for about 1 minute. Dust the dough with more cornstarch. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a ½-inch-thick 6-inch square. With a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3-inch squares.
• Assemble the mochi: Place a square of mochi dough in your palm. Scoop 2 tablespoons of red bean paste onto the center of the mochi square and bring the edges of the dough up and over to seal. If it is too sticky, dust your fingers with cornstarch. Blot the seam side on the cornstarch-dusted surface and trim off any excess mochi dough if necessary (save the scraps for a snack). Set the mochi seam-side down and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Enjoy!