Original: English

Mochi Recipes

Introducing 3 fundamental mochi recipes: Kinako Mochi, Isobe Mochi, and Mitarashi Dango。 By skillfully using your microwave and toaster oven, and preparing them with a little care, you're sure to rediscover the original deliciousness of mochi. These easy and tasty recipes are perfect for arranging your mochi, especially during the New Year. Try them out!

Steps

[0:27] In a bowl, combine 10g Kinako, 10g Sugar, and a pinch of Salt. Mix well. [Key Tip!] Adding salt enhances the sweetness of the sugar, making for delicious kinako. Have this ready before heating the mochi.
[1:08] Cut Kirimochi in half. If there's a score line, break it along the line.
[1:26] Place 1 cut Kirimochi in a microwave-safe bowl. Add enough water to cover the mochi and microwave on 600W for 1 minute.
[1:55] After microwaving, if the mochi is still hard, flip it over and microwave for an additional 10 seconds, then check. [Key Tip!] Water and microwaving achieve the perfect mochi softness. Be careful not to overcook, or it will become mushy.
[2:20] Drain the water from the softened mochi and place it in the kinako bowl prepared in Step 1. Coat the mochi evenly with kinako (first coating).
[2:49] Remove the kinako-coated mochi and coat it generously with kinako again (second coating). [Key Tip!] Double-coating with plenty of kinako ensures a rich flavor.
[3:51] Place Kirimochi on a toaster oven tray lined with parchment paper and toast until it puffs up.
[4:22] In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp Soy Sauce and 1 tsp Sugar. Mix well to create the sauce.
[4:59] Dip the hot, freshly toasted mochi into the sauce made in Step 8. Lift it out briefly to let it soak in, then dip again (repeat about 3 times in total). [Key Tip!] Instead of applying a large amount of sauce at once, dipping multiple times allows the sauce to penetrate the mochi well.
[5:24] Shake off any excess sauce and wrap the mochi with roasted seaweed. [Key Tip!] If the seaweed is not pliable, lightly toast it over a gas flame for better aroma.
[6:31] In a microwave-safe dish, combine 60ml Water, 2 tsp Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine), 2 tbsp Sugar, and 2 tsp Potato Starch. Whisk thoroughly to prevent lumps at the bottom.
[6:56] Microwave the dish from Step 11 on 600W for 40 seconds.
[7:17] After microwaving, whisk the mixture thoroughly, especially the bottom which tends to thicken, to ensure no lumps. [Key Tip!] Skipping this step can lead to lumps, so whisk diligently.
[7:35] Microwave again for another 40 seconds on 600W. Stop heating once the mixture starts to bubble. [Key Tip!] If it doesn't bubble, add an extra 10-20 seconds of heating. Remember to whisk again before adding extra time.
[8:11] Similar to the first kinako mochi, place 1 Kirimochi in a microwave-safe bowl with enough cold water to cover. Microwave on 600W for 1 minute. [Key Tip!] Even when heating multiple pieces of mochi, heating them one by one in cold water reduces the chance of failure.
[8:40] Drain the hot mochi from the microwave and coat it in the Mitarashi sauce prepared in Step 14. [Key Tip!] If there's too little Mitarashi sauce, it will be difficult to coat the mochi. This recipe's quantity can handle up to approximately 3 pieces of mochi.