Strawberry Mochi
Strawberry mochi, known as ichigo daifuku in Japanese, is a fresh strawberry enclosed in a layer of sweet bean paste and pillowy dough. It's a delicious treat you need to try at least once!
Servings: 12 pieces
Calories: 122kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour Mochiko or Shiratamako
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup sweet white bean paste Shiroan (or Shiro-an in Japanese) - if you can’t find white, use red (anko)
- 12 large strawberries cleaned, hulled and patted dry
- 1 cup cornstarch as needed, to prevent the dough from sticking
Instructions
- Before you begin: Make sure the white bean paste has a consistency that is thick but spreadable. If it's more on the runny side, chill it in the freezer until it isn’t runny (the amount of time it takes will depend on the paste, so check it every 30 minutes). On the other hand, if it’s too thick, work at it with a spoon or fork, mashing it around until it’s more spreadable.
- Mix the glutinous rice flour, water and sugar in a microwaveable bowl, until dissolved. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, microwave at maximum power for 1 minute, remove from the microwave and stir.1 cup glutinous rice flour, 1 cup water, ¼ cup sugar
- Cover again and cook for 1 more minute at high heat. Stir again and cook for 1 more minute (for a total of 3 minutes), or until you get a thick dough that sticks together (it’ll still be very sticky). Let it cool.
- Make sure your hands are clean and slightly greased with neutral cooking oil to help prevent sticking or you can powder your hands with cornstarch. Transfer the dough to a tray or surface that has been sprinkled with enough cornstarch so that the dough doesn’t stick to it. Roll into a large cylinder.
- Cut the cylinder into 12 equal sections and form them into balls.
- Form a flat, thin pancake (about 3”-4" diameter) with each mochi dough ball.
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of the white bean paste onto each flattened dough ball and add a strawberry to the center.
- Close the dough around the strawberry, making sure the seams are on the bottom.
- Place in the fridge for 2 hours. Serve!
Notes
- Fridge Storage: They are best if eaten within 1 day as the moisture from the strawberry starts to release and sog up the mochi dough. However, you can keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 to 2 days.
- Freezer Storage: You can freeze them, wrapped in plastic wrap and in a freezer bag, for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge before eating.
- Troubleshoot: Dough too soft or unworkable? While mochi dough is normally pretty soft and sticky, if it seems completely unworkable and falling apart, you might have undercooked the dough, which was my mistake the first time I made it. Make sure to cook the dough the full 3 minutes, covered, in the microwave. Or, you just need to work with more cornstarch.
- Alternative assembly: Alternatively, you can spread the paste over the strawberry before wrapping it in the mochi dough.
Nutrition
Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.4mg
