Culinary Travel: Zunda Mochi Recipe

This is basically mochi (Soy bean mochi / rice cake) covered in a soy bean paste. Mochi is good. Soybeans are good. Why not combine them together?

What in the world is Mochi? Mochi is Japanese sticky rice cake used both in savory and sweet dishes.  Mochi is usually made from sweet rice (also called Mochi rice) cooked and pounded until it becomes a paste that is very sticky and smooth, then formed into cakes or blocks.  It is often eaten in New Year’s Ozoni soup or baked with soy sauce.  Mochi made from cooked sweet rice doesn’t stay fresh and soft too long, and usually needs to be cooked to be able to be eaten again. 

The following recipe uses Mochiko which is basically powdered sweet rice. It becomes Mochi by adding water and steaming.  Because it is a powder, it is easier to have Mochiko in your pantry longer and it is much simpler to use to make Mochi than rice.  Mochi from Mochiko may seem softer than traditional Mochi, but it stays soft from adding sugar.  It has a lot of sugar, and it is quite sweet.  You could cut some of the sugar if you will eat it right away, however, the texture and shelf life may suffer a bit.

With this Sweet Mochi, you can make many varieties of Japanese sweets.  You could wrap a ball of  red bean paste with Mochi and make it into Daifuku Mochi, put ice cream inside to make Mochi ice cream, or as our second recipe suggests coated with some edamame paste.

Ingredients are simple enough. Mochiko is often available in regular supermarkets.  The steps of making it are easy too.  Just take care dissolving sugar. We suggest adding the sugar in parts and to dissolve completely and evenly. It is easier and tastier than you may think to make Zunda Mochi, enjoy!

The Sweet Mochi

Ingredients
1 cup Mochiko (sweet rice flour or Mochi flour) (160g)
3/4 cup water (180ml)
2 cups sugar (400g)
cornstarch

Directions
1. Mix Mochiko and water in a glass (or other heat proof) bowl and mix well. Add some more water if it's too dry, 1 Tablespoon at a time.

2. Steam the Mochiko dough (leaving the dough in the bowl) in a steamer for 20 minutes.

3. Transfer the steamed Mochi into a pot and cook at medium to medium low heat with 1/3 of the sugar (2/3 cup). When the sugar is completely dissolved, add another 1/3 of the sugar and mix well. Add the last part of the sugar and cook some more until the sugar is dissolved. Take the time to melt the sugar, but be careful not to burn it.

4. Take the hot Mochi out from the pot onto a sheet pan liberally dusted with cornstarch. Shape as you like.

The Zunda Mochi

Ingredients
One 16 ounce bag of frozen shelled edamame
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon water or more as needed
2 pinches of kosher salt

Directions
1. Remove the skin from the defrosted edamame. You should yield 14 ounces or about 2 1/2 cups of edamame.

2. Place edamame, sugar, water and salt in a food processor. Process into a paste of desired consistency.

3. Top mochi with edamame paste.

Note: Paste freezes well. Yields: 2 cups paste

Call Rawhide Travel and Tours and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. 

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com