We told you a few months ago about the origins of mochi and its essential frozen version for summer.
Today we present different techniques and preparations to make your own mochi and offer your guests an original dessert.
Don't worry — although this speciality seems difficult to reproduce, you'll quickly realise it's nothing of the sort and that it's within everyone's reach.
Come on, let's take notes and rush to the Japanese grocery (or the Internet) to gather all the ingredients.
The mochi dough
👥 serves 4 / 8 pieces
🥣 15 min preparation
🕒 5 min cooking
Ingredients
80 g shiratamako (glutinous rice flour)
70 g white sugar
160 ml water
cornstarch
Method
- Mix the shiratamako and the sugar
- Gradually add the water, stirring
- Cover the dish with cling film and cook for 1 min 30 in the microwave (850 watts)
- Remove the film and mix roughly
- Put the film back and cook again for 1 min 30 in the microwave
- Mix and repeat the operation one last time
- Dust your worktop with cornstarch and place the mixture
- Let cool a little and divide the dough into 8 equal parts
The traditional one with azuki beans
👥 serves 4 / 8 pieces
🥣 5 min preparation
🕒 1 h cooking
Ingredients
400 g red azuki beans
200 g white sugar
1.4 l water
1 pinch of salt
+ your previously prepared mochi dough
Method
- Boil the beans in a large volume of water
- Let simmer for 5 minutes and throw away the cooking water.
- Repeat the operation
- Add 1.4 l of water and let simmer for 50 min, covered
- If the beans crush with a fork, drain the water
- Add the sugar and stir until you get a syrupy texture (about 15 min)
- Add the salt
- Blend if you want a smoother paste
Assembly
- Make eight balls with the bean-based preparation
- Take one of the eight pieces of mochi dough
- Flatten it and place it in the hollow of your hand
- Put the ball of bean-based preparation in the centre
- Wrap the "filling" with the mochi dough
- Pinch the edges to close it well
- Gently roll the mochi between both hands to round and shape it
The frozen version: vanilla & chocolate
👥 serves 4 / 8 pieces
🥣 15 min preparation
Ingredients
200 g vanilla ice cream
100 g dark baking chocolate
120 ml milk
+ your previously prepared mochi dough
Assembly
- Make eight ice-cream balls, place them on a plate and put them back in the freezer for 1 h
- Cut eight 15 cm x 15 cm squares from cling film
- Place one of the eight pieces of dough on the cornstarch-dusted worktop
- Roll the pieces out with a rolling pin and place on a square of cling film
- Place an ice-cream ball in the centre
- Fold the edges of the dough over, pressing firmly on the joins
- Close it all up in the cling film by twisting it
Preparation (for the greediest)
For the chocolate sauce
- Heat the milk until it simmers
- Finely chop the chocolate
- Pour the milk over the chocolate and mix until you get a smooth consistency
- Serve without delay
Other cravings?
To be honest, once you master the mochi dough recipe and the techniques for making the classic or frozen version... you can let your imagination and your cravings run wild.
Why not put a Nutella or chestnut-cream insert (for a very French version), for example? The only requirement will be to make portions of this type of preparation, which you'll put in the fridge beforehand to harden them and thus be able to incorporate them more easily into the centre of the mochi dough.
Finally, regarding the frozen version, it's up to you to choose which flavour you'll succumb to! A fruit and chocolate sauce will always be welcome for even more indulgence.
