Daifuku Mochi - Japanese Sweet Rice Cakes

Daifuku Mochi - Japanese Sweet Rice Cakes

Mochi in 5 minutes? Yes, please! Daifuku mochi has to be our FAVOURITE Japanese snack of all time. Sweet sticky rice is wrapped around red bean paste to form soft as a pillow dessert bites you'll want to make again and again.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 2

Resting Time 5

Total Time 8

Servings mochi

Calories 151kcal

Author Wandercooks

Cost $5

Ingredients

115 g glutinous rice flour (1 heaped cup)
60 g sugar (4 tbsp)
125 ml water (½ cup)
8 tbsp red bean paste
1 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour to cover surface

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together the glutinous rice flour, sugar and water until combined.
115 g glutinous rice flour, 60 g sugar, 125 ml water
Loosely cover with cling wrap and microwave for 1 minute.
With the spoon, give it a quick mix, re-cover and pop back in for another minute.
Get a spatula, and wet it in water. Pull the mochi away from the sides and fold it in until it's a rough dough ball shape. It should be sticky and pliable, with the colour turning from bright white to a more translucent cream.
Spread the cornstarch on a clean dry surface, and pop the mochi onto it using the wet spatula. Cover it with cornstarch until it's no longer sticky, molding it into a thick and flat disc, and allow to cool for a few minutes.
1 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour
Roll 1 tbsp of red bean paste into a ball, and repeat until you have 8 balls ready to wrap with mochi.
8 tbsp red bean paste
Grab the cooled mochi dough and cut into 8 even pieces using a knife or dough cutter (pop a bit of cornstarch on to avoid sticking).
Coat your fingertips in the cornstarch and pick up your first piece of mochi. Flatten and shape into a disc around 10cm / 2 inches wide. Place a red bean paste ball into the centre and wrap the mochi dough around it. Pull up the edges into the centre and pinch it altogether.
Place the mochi seam side down and repeat with the remaining dough and bean paste. Serve immediately, and best eaten within the day.

Video

Notes

Tips to get this recipe just right:

Filling Ideas:
- Ice-cream filled mochi takes your dessert to a whole other level. Try vanilla, green tea, strawberry or black sesame!
- Sweet mung bean paste - like in Che Ba Mau
- Strawberries covered in red bean paste
- Fresh cream
- Speculoos cookie butter
- Chocolate mousse
- Peanut butter & banana
Glutinous Rice Flour - Traditionally, if you can find Japanese sweet rice flour known as Shiratamako or Mochiko, this would be best. However, the easiest substitute is regular glutinous rice flour. We've found it at our local and Asian supermarkets as well as online. Look out for the see-through bag with the green writing - not the red writing (which is regular rice flour and not sticky!). Unfortunately can not substitute with all purpose flour or regular rice flour.
Red Bean Paste - We used coarse red bean paste, but you can use the fine bean paste as well, it's completely up to your taste. Store bought is fine - you'll find it at your local Asian supermarket, otherwise you can also make your own from azuki beans. In a pinch, you could make a filling with sweetened kidney beans, like in Vietnamese 3 Colour Bean Dessert. Or ditch the beans, and make up your own filling!
While cooking, look for the change of colour. You want the bright white to fade to a more translucent cream colour.
If it's sticking, while trying to form the mochi, add a little more cornstarch.
Storage: Best enjoyed within 24 hours. If you can, leave it out of the fridge for the freshest taste. If you really can't eat them all, they will keep overnight in a zip-lock plastic bag in the fridge OR you can freeze them. If freezing, coat in a little extra corn starch so they don't stick together and pop them in a zip-lock plastic bag. Eat within the month if freezing for the best taste. To thaw, you can either leave them out on the bench for an hour or so, or heat them in 10 second bursts until thawed.

Nutrition