An Mochi (Red Bean)

Mochi was one of the first things I ever learned to make. Not red bean mochi, but bing tang tong yuen-- rock sugar mochi-- in, literally, sweet water. There must be some english name for that(instead of mochi in sweet water) -- I just don't know it yet. That was made with a glutinous rice flour dough and a piece of rock sugar, boiled with yams. Red bean mochi by itself is a bit different. Since it's consumed dry, it must retain its moisture yet be able to be molded into a ball. Mochi "dough" is easy to make, but to make it hold its shape it must have enough glutinous rice flour. However the glutinous rice flour would make the mochi chewy and harden easily-- not tasty; so I tried another method.

I used enough water to make the mochi mixture syrup-like, steamed the mixture, then scraped pieces out to make the mochi with the red bean paste at the center. This is by far the best method I have found and the mochi will stay soft for days. I think that method is more important than following the recipe, but here's what you generally need:

• 1 cup glutinous rice flour
  
• 1/4 c sugar
• ?? evaporated milk (can be substituted with water or canned coconut milk)
• red bean paste
  
• Potato/yam starch for dusting AND/OR dessicated coconut

some vague instructions:

1. Combine rice flour and sugar. Add evaporated milk until mixture has a syrup-like consistency. (I don't know how much this is yet, will update this when I find out)
   
2. Optional: Add food color.
   
3. Pour into one or several pans about 0.5 cm thick and steam for about 4 minutes or until mochi becomes clear.
4. After steaming, remove from steamer and let cool until able to handle. Then using a spoon, scoop out a piece of mochi, fill with red bean paste, and pinch/roll together.
   
5. To finish, dust with yam starch or dessicated coconut

For Ichigo Daifuku (strawberry mochi), cover small strawberries with red bean paste and wrap with mochi.