Mochi with peanut butter filling

The mochi as we know it are the ones that are usually stuffed with sweet fillings such as red bean paste. Mochi originates from Japan but has been a popular dessert or snack in other parts of Asia, predominately Taiwan, Hongkong and Singapore. Mochi is made from pounding steamed rice into a paste and then moulding it into a shape. The ones with sweet filling is actually called Daifuku.

I remember when I was living in Osaka with a Japanese family, they will place mochi on top of the radiator to warm it up for breakfast. The bottom will be crisy from the heat and I ate it dipped in aduki bean paste or soya sauce! No sugar is added at all but it was delicious. The man of the family was a doctor and he told me that mochi is actually very nutritious. Just another reason to eat more mochi goodness!

Call me silly but I had a realisation while writing this post that mochi= glutinous rice balls = tang yuen. Tang yuen is made to mark the winter solstice and it is a traditional thing to make and have back in Singapore. I remember as a kid I will sit next to Grandma and helped her roll the litte colourful rice balls and boil them in ginger sugared water. Very fond memories I will make some and put the recipe up soon. They always looked so pretty floating around in the dark sweet syrup. And of course it had always been fun with Grandma

So what makes this ball of sweetness so unresistable that it is hard to stop at one? This recipe is simple and so fun to make. No pounding is required here!  And you can easily make these in less than 30mins.

Coconut flakes & fresh peanut butter

Ingredients (Makes 16 – 20):

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups glutinous rice flour
• A few drops of colouring of choice or leave this part out
• Freshly made peanut butter (from South Melbourne market) (You can choose the sweet filling of your choice)
• 100 grams of coconut flakes
• 1 bowl of water

Glutinous rice flour

Mochi mixture

Microwave mochi

Method:

1. Get your work station prepared with a bowl of water, 2 spoons, bowl of coconut flakes, a wet plate, lined muffin tin and fillings ready
2. Note that this recipe makes use of the 1,2,3 ratio theory. So mix 1 cup sugar with 2 cups water till all the sugar is dissolved into the water. Then mix in 3 cups glutinous flour and stir with a spoon till the mixture is smooth with no lumps.
3. Use a chopstick or toothpick to dip into the food colouring and stir the colouring thoroughly into the mochi mixture. Do this several times until you reach colour satisfaction
4. At this point, you can flavour the mochi with rose water, orange essense, etc
5. Place the mochi mixture into the microwave for 5/6 mins on HIGH. The timing depends on how powerful your microwave is. Take it out and use a chopstick to test by dipping it into the mixture, if it pulls out without too much sticking to it, it is done.
6. Use the 2 wet spoons to help scoop the mixture out onto the wet plate. This prevents the mixture from sticking to the plate and the spoon too much
7. Place the filling in the middle of the mochi and press the ends together to seal in the filling
8. Roll it into a ball and cover it wih the coconut flakes
9. Place the balls into the lined muffin tin and it is ready for consumption

Mochi with peanut butter filling

Mochi filled with peanut butter or daifuku

Many thanks to NQN for this simple recipe It is googey sweetness and there is no reason to stop at one. Be creative with your filling. I may try chocolate the next time!

What is your favourite mochi filling and colour?

Double YumUp!