Preparation time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Ichigo Mochi is a popular spring dessert. A soft and chewy rice cake, stuffed with fresh strawberry and sweet red bean paste. Indulge yourself with this Instagram-worthy Japanese delicacy!
INGREDIENTS
- 6 strawberries
- 150g red bean paste
- 100g glutinous rice flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 150 ml water
- Corn starch for dusting
HOW TO MAKE IT
The strawberry filling:
Hull the strawberries. Divide the red bean paste into 6 same size balls. The paste gets sticky on your hands, so wash your hands and dry completely each time you make a ball. Wrap the strawberries with the red bean paste. Wash and dry your hands completely each time you wrap a strawberry with paste.
The mochi (rice cake):
In a medium, microwave-safe glass bowl, mix the glutinous rice flour and sugar with a whisk. Using a silicone spatula, slowly add water in 3 parts and stir until the mixture has thickened. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap.
First microwave the mixture for 1 minute in a 1200W microwave. Mix well with a wet silicone spatula. The mixture will still be a bit white and floury. For the second time, microwave another minute, and mix again with the wet silicone spatula. Now the mixture will start to look like mochi, but there will still be some floury parts. For the last time, microwave for 30 seconds. Now the mochi mixture should look translucent.
Sift corn starch on a tray and put the mochi on top. With a silicone spatula, fold the mochi in half one time so it won’t be as sticky. Then divide it into 6 equal pieces.
Mochi with strawberry:
Put some corn starch on your hands, and flatten and expand each mochi into a 7.5 cm circle or square. Then put the strawberry, covered in red bean paste, on top of the mochi. Cover the strawberry from all sides and close the mochi. Hold the mochi with both hands, and form it into a nice, round shape. Repeat this for the remaining mochi.
Serve at room temperature and consume the mochi within 2 days.