kashiwa mochi

Kashiwa Mochi is a very traditional type of mochi that is most commonly eaten during the Kodomo no Hi festival. It is a sweet and sticky treat, perfect for children!

INGREDEINTS

- Azuki Sweet Red Beans 1 can or 200g

- Joshinko Non-glutinous Rice Flour – 200g

- Water – 280ml

- Oak Leaves – 8 Leaves

HOW TO PREPARE

Start by emptying the contents of the azuki tin into a saucepan and gently heat over a low heat to thicken the bean paste. While the liquid is being removed from the azuki beans, mix the rice flour and water well in a bowl before covering the bowl and then heating in a microwave on full heat for 4 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the microwave and mix the contents again. Then put back in the microwave for a further 3 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the microwave and you should have a nice solid dough. Use your hands to knead the dough until it is soft and as smooth as possible and then split it into 8 equally sized flattened pieces. Your dough should look a little like bread dough at this stage.
Take the azuki paste off the hob and allow it to cool before splitting it into 8 small pieces. Place the sweet bean paste onto the dough then fold the dough over and seal around the edge so that the paste inside is fully sealed. Lastly wrap up each piece of mochi with an oak leaf once the dough has cooled down and serve. Remember, the oak leaf is just for decoration and not supposed to be eaten.

NOTE
Your rice flour and water mixture should be more watery than solid before placing in the microwave. You can add more water while kneading if necessary and you may also need to adjust the microwave times depending on the power rating of your own microwave.