Strawberry Daifuku (Mochi)

Ingredients

3/4 cup sweet rice flour (Mochiko)

2 tbsp sugar

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup corn starch

red or pink food colouring

1 cup red bean paste (anko)

6 whole strawberries

Procedure

1. In a heat proof bowl mix together the rice flour and sugar.
2. Add water to the mixture and whisk until combined.
3. Add the bowl to your steamer and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir the mixture halfway through the cook time.
4. You will know it’s ready when the mixture turns from white to translucent.
5. Wash, hull, and dry your strawberries.
6. Cover each strawberry with anko and set aside.
7. Remove the mochi from steamer and mix in the colour of your choice.
8. Cover your work surface generously with corn starch.
9. Pour the mochi onto the corn starch and cover with more corn starch.
10. Cover your hands with more corn starch to prevent sticking when handling.
11. Roll it out and let it cool.
12. With a round cookie cutter dipped in more corn starch cut out 12 rounds.
13. Alternatively to step 11 and 12, you can cut 12 portions and roll out individually.
14. Dust off excess potato starch off the mochi. Take one anko covered strawberry and gently place it with the narrow tip down in the middle and then pinch in the edges together at the bottom.

Notes

• Cover the lid of your steamer with a tea towel so that the condensation does not drip into your mochi.
• The mochi can also be made in the microwave – cook for about 3 minutes stirring every minute, and then every 30 seconds for the last minute. You will know it is ready when the batch turns translucent.