Mochi
Mochi has a history spanning over a thousand years in Japan, where pounded glutinous rice was traditionally offered to Shinto deities at the New Year celebration, and the resulting balls were then shared out as a symbol of luck and longevity; the ritual of pounding steamed rice in a stone mortar with a wooden mallet, called mochitsuki, remains a family or village tradition at the turn of the year even today, though the modern home recipe replaces pounding with steaming or the microwave for convenience. What separates a successful mochi from a gummy or tough version comes down to a few technical details: the dough has to be kneaded vigorously right after cooking, while still hot, since its distinctive elasticity is lost as it cools; the cornstarch dusted on generously prevents sticking, but in excess it dries out the surface and ruins the soft texture; and mochi is eaten the same day it's made, because in the fridge the starch retrogrades quickly and the ball turns hard and crumbly, losing its original stretch entirely.
Glutinous rice flour, not cooked rice
That special starch creates the distinctive stretchy texture, impossible with regular rice
The dough is steamed or microwaved
Only turns translucent and sticky once fully hydrated by heat
Kneaded vigorously with a dampened spoon
Evens out the texture and stops it sticking to hands or bowls
Surface dusted with cornstarch
Stops the balls sticking to each other or to the counter
Ingredients 4 servings
- 200g glutinous rice flour (mochiko/shiratamako)
- 150g sugar
- 250ml water
- 1-2 drops food colouring (optional)
- 100g sweet red bean paste (anko), for filling
- Cornstarch, for dusting the work surface
How to make it
- 1MIX THE DOUGH: put the glutinous rice flour and sugar in a heatproof bowl, add the water gradually while stirring, until you get a smooth, lump-free paste.
- 2STEAM IT: cover the bowl with perforated cling film and steam for 20 minutes, or microwave for 3 minutes, stir well, then microwave 2 more minutes, until translucent.
- 3KNEAD: with a spoon dampened in cold water, knead the hot dough vigorously for 1-2 minutes, right in the bowl, until it turns elastic and even in texture.
- 4SHAPE THE FILLING BALLS: meanwhile, roll the red bean paste into small balls, about 15g each.
- 5DIVIDE THE DOUGH: generously dust the work surface with cornstarch, spread out the warm dough and cut it into equal pieces, with hands lightly wetted with cold water so it doesn't stick.
- 6FILL AND SEAL: place one paste ball in the centre of each dough piece, gather the edges toward the centre and pinch them well shut, so the filling doesn't leak out.
- 7SERVE: shake off the excess starch and serve the mochi at room temperature, the same day — the texture firms up quickly in the fridge.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
