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Yomogi Mochi

the Delicious Soft Yomogi mochi with sweet red bean paste inside.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 7 pieces

Equipment

  • 1 frying pan
  • 1 Microwave safe bowl

Ingredients
  

Yomogi Paste

  • 30~40 g Fresh Yomogi
  • or Dried Yomogi Follow package instruction for the amount

Mochi Dough

  • 75 g Rice Flour
  • 25 g Mochiko
  • 10 g sugar
  • 100 g lukewarm

Red Bean Paste

  • 175 g (6 oz) Red Bean Paste

Kinako

    Instructions
     

    Yomogi Paste

    • Wash well the Yomogi. Bring a pan of water to a boil, add baking soda to remove scum and make it soft. Cook for 5 mins on medium until soft.
      Drain and release in an ice bath to stop cooking and reserve the vibrant green color.
      Squeeze out all the moisture and then chop into a paste.

    Red Bean Paste

    • Roll red bean paste into a ball and set it aside.
      ※If you use canned red bean paste, it is too loose and contains too much moisture, so cook it in a microwave to evaporate the moisture.

    Mochi Dough

    • Combine the flour and sugar, mix with lukewarm water, and mix into a dough. Cover with plastic, cook in a microwave for a minute, and then mix to even out the dough.
      Cook it again in a microwave for a minute. Mix once again and cook it once more.
    • In a Suribachi bowl, put prepared Yomogil. The Japanese mortar has fine lines that allow it to break the fibers.  Grind Yomogi with a pestle until smooth for a few minutes.
    • Transfer the mochi dough to Suribachi Mortal,
      Pound with a pestle, like Nakatani san does, until you get a smooth mochi dough. I use a spatula as if he is flipping the mochi dough.
      Dip your pestle in water occasionally to avoid sticking, and keep pounding until you get a nice stretchy mochi!
      The more you pound the mochi, the more stretchy and velvety mochi.

    Assemble

    • Divide into seven pieces and shape into a ball.
      Flatten the mochi; the edges should be thinner than the center. Then, put the red bean paste in the center and wrap it all around.
      Dust with kinako powder, and there you have it!
    Keyword fast-pounding mochi, kirimochi, nakatanido, nara, red bean paste, yomogi, yomogi mochi