Mochi Daifuku (Soft Rice Cake Stuffed with Red Bean Paste)

Name: Mochi Daifuku (Soft Rice Cake Stuffed with Red Bean Paste)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: glutinous rice flour 180 g; water 220 ml; sugar 60 g; salt 0.25 tsp; sweet red bean paste 160 g; starch powder 40 g

Quick answer

Total time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

The sweet rice dough cooks in the microwave in a few short rounds instead of a steamer, and once it turns glossy and stretches long, it gets wrapped around balls of red bean paste.

Shaping happens on a generous bed of starch, which keeps the tacky dough from clinging to your hands and leaves the finished daifuku dry to the touch. Dough straight from the microwave tears easily, so it cools just until it can be handled.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

6 steps

1

In a heatproof bowl, combine 180 g glutinous rice flour, 60 g sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Pour in 220 ml water gradually and stir until the batter is smooth with no dry lumps.
2

Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes.

When the edges look translucent, stir thoroughly with a damp spatula so the hotter outside mixes into the center.
3

Microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes, then check that the dough is glossy, sticky, and stretches in long strands.

If white floury spots remain, heat in 30-second bursts and stir again.
4

Dust the work surface generously with part of the 40 g starch powder and transfer the hot dough onto it.

Let it cool only until it can be touched without sticking badly or tearing.
5

Divide 160 g sweet red bean paste into 4 firm balls, then divide the mochi dough into 4 portions.

Dust each portion with starch and flatten it, keeping the center thicker and the edges thinner.
6

Place a red bean ball in the center of each wrapper, pull the edges up, and pinch the seam closed.

Set each piece seam-side down, brush off excess starch, and serve the daifuku the same day.