Mochi is Japanese rice cake. It is chewy and sticky.
Traditionally made of steamed sweet rice pounded and mushed in a large wooden mortal.
Here we use Mochiko (sweet rice flour).
You can simply cook the dough and serve, but adding the pounding process enhance the smooth texture and taste.
Makes 12 Mochi cakes
Ingredients:
- 1lb/450g Mochiko (sweet rice flour)
- 1 1/3 cup water
*1cup = 250ml
Utensils:
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 2 quart microwavable container with lid
- Parchment paper
- Wooden spoon
- Rolling pin
- Mix Mochiko and water well
- Line a microwavable container with a piece of parchment paper and set the dough, cover and microwave for 5 minutes
Cooked dough
- Fold the dough, cover with parchment paper and pound with rolling pin, repeat folding and pounding for several times
- Put the dough back into the container with parchment paper, microwave for 3 more minutes or longer until it is thoroughly cooked (it gets stickier and somewhat translucent).
Repeat fold-and-pound using wet wooden spoon and/or hand as needed (don’t be afraid of applying a lot of water).
- When the dough becomes nice and smooth, devide dough into 12 balls and shape each.
- Serve warm with preferred sauce and garnish (photo: soy sauce and green onion).
Variation:
- Mix chopped vegetables, herbs and/or cooked beans with a pinch of salt into dough prior to microwaving
- Sweeten the dough and eat as dessert dumpling
- Pan fry finished cakes
- Add cakes in soup
Note:
Place shaped Mochi on a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once Mochi cools it becomes much easier to handle.
You can freeze on the cooking sheet. After it gets frozen put in a freezer bag and store. To reheat you can microwave, pan fry, toast in a toaster oven or cook in liquid.
CHOKING HAZARD – Warm Mochi is very sticky. Please take a small bite and chew very well. Supervise children if you serve them.