Making microwave mochi

Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
13,135
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
I got inspired to make my own after watching a few videos. Results have been OK, but not great. But certainly easy enough, and a lot cheaper than going out any buying it. But the ones I really liked are from the LA shop Fugetsu-Do, which are sometimes available here in the San Francisco Bay Area, along with the Sacramento shop Osakaya. My favorite is the Fugetsu-Do rainbow dango.



I can't make it look anywhere as nice though, but the results are OK. I specifically went out and got potato starch, which was recommended in several recipes as a dusting to keep the surface from sticking. But I've heard some might just use rice flour (possibly not glutinous/sweet rice) or cornstarch as the dusting powder. However, the potato starch leaves the surface with a glittery sheen and has this really silky texture. The potato starch was actually from Japan, but these Asian/Japanese groceries also have some imported Dutch potato starch which is even more expensive.



I don't have any food coloring and the only flavoring I have is a vanillin based artificial vanilla. I was thinking of maybe using matcha green tea powder for a different flavor. I'd bought similar stuff that has assorted artificial flavors as well as some berry version that used a jam.

The one thing that's been tough is getting the right flour. I think traditionally it was made with steamed sweet rice and then pounded with mallets. I got some of this at an Asian grocery because it was cheap. Thai glutinous rice flour - Erawan brand. Fairly cheap depending on where.

71+7JtllNCL._SL1208_.jpg


However, it was a little bit off. This particular flour is apparently wet milled, where it's milled when wet and then dried. It also has a distinct (not neutral) flavor. Not all that bad when part of something that's heavily flavored, but mochi generally doesn't have any strong flavoring. The mixture with a 1:1 flour to water ratio was really soupy. Once it was heated and set, it was also really soft and gloopy - almost too hard to work with. And once done, I would say it was too smooth. I'm used to mochi that has a slight grittiness to the chew. I tried reducing the amount of water, which helped. It still didn't remind me of mochi that I got at Japanese dessert shops.

There's another one from a California grower. I think this may be what is closer to traditional rice flour for mochi as it's supposedly dry milled. I have a feeling that this is likely what a lot of these shops I've gone to use. Got a box of it at a local Japanese specialty grocery. They also had imported sweet rice flour flakes for making mochi, although that stuff was way too expensive.


kp-mochiko.png


The results seemed a little bit better. Firmer texture with the 1:1 ratio of water to rice flour, although I've seen some recipes (like the one from Koda Farms) call for even less, although they recommend boiling rather than microwaving.

My only thing is that I can't make it look nice. My surface is uneven, and I tried handling it when hot and it was painful. But many of the recipes call for it being that hot because it's going to be impossible to work with once it cools down. The other thing was to avoid metal to cut as it will stick, and to use plastic knives. I ended up snapping a disposable plastic knife.

Anyone tried making mochi and have any tips on getting the consistency right? Or is it going to take trial and error, and maybe practice in getting it to look right? Currently I can't form it without lots and lots of starch, to the point where it might clump in some spots. The prepared mochi I've bought have had minimal flour or starch on the surface and have an even surface free of the breaks and overlaps that I see in the stuff I'm making.

I'm thinking of maybe just making them as rolls, closer to Hong Kong style banana rolls.

 
I got inspired to make my own after watching a few videos. Results have been OK, but not great. But certainly easy enough, and a lot cheaper than going out any buying it. But the ones I really liked are from the LA shop Fugetsu-Do, which are sometimes available here in the San Francisco Bay Area, along with the Sacramento shop Osakaya. My favorite is the Fugetsu-Do rainbow dango.



I can't make it look anywhere as nice though, but the results are OK. I specifically went out and got potato starch, which was recommended in several recipes as a dusting to keep the surface from sticking. But I've heard some might just use rice flour (possibly not glutinous/sweet rice) or cornstarch as the dusting powder. However, the potato starch leaves the surface with a glittery sheen and has this really silky texture. The potato starch was actually from Japan, but these Asian/Japanese groceries also have some imported Dutch potato starch which is even more expensive.



I don't have any food coloring and the only flavoring I have is a vanillin based artificial vanilla. I was thinking of maybe using matcha green tea powder for a different flavor. I'd bought similar stuff that has assorted artificial flavors as well as some berry version that used a jam.

The one thing that's been tough is getting the right flour. I think traditionally it was made with steamed sweet rice and then pounded with mallets. I got some of this at an Asian grocery because it was cheap. Thai glutinous rice flour - Erawan brand. Fairly cheap depending on where.

71+7JtllNCL._SL1208_.jpg


However, it was a little bit off. This particular flour is apparently wet milled, where it's milled when wet and then dried. It also has a distinct (not neutral) flavor. Not all that bad when part of something that's heavily flavored, but mochi generally doesn't have any strong flavoring. The mixture with a 1:1 flour to water ratio was really soupy. Once it was heated and set, it was also really soft and gloopy - almost too hard to work with. And once done, I would say it was too smooth. I'm used to mochi that has a slight grittiness to the chew. I tried reducing the amount of water, which helped. It still didn't remind me of mochi that I got at Japanese dessert shops.

There's another one from a California grower. I think this may be what is closer to traditional rice flour for mochi as it's supposedly dry milled. I have a feeling that this is likely what a lot of these shops I've gone to use. Got a box of it at a local Japanese specialty grocery. They also had imported sweet rice flour flakes for making mochi, although that stuff was way too expensive.


kp-mochiko.png


The results seemed a little bit better. Firmer texture with the 1:1 ratio of water to rice flour, although I've seen some recipes (like the one from Koda Farms) call for even less, although they recommend boiling rather than microwaving.

My only thing is that I can't make it look nice. My surface is uneven, and I tried handling it when hot and it was painful. But many of the recipes call for it being that hot because it's going to be impossible to work with once it cools down. The other thing was to avoid metal to cut as it will stick, and to use plastic knives. I ended up snapping a disposable plastic knife.

Anyone tried making mochi and have any tips on getting the consistency right? Or is it going to take trial and error, and maybe practice in getting it to look right? Currently I can't form it without lots and lots of starch, to the point where it might clump in some spots. The prepared mochi I've bought have had minimal flour or starch on the surface and have an even surface free of the breaks and overlaps that I see in the stuff I'm making.

I'm thinking of maybe just making them as rolls, closer to Hong Kong style banana rolls.


I'm generally a DIYer but mochi isn't on my roster because I don't care for it and because I can get it in J-Town if someone wants it. Yes, sweet mochi gome, endlessly pounded with a mallet, wetted down, and stretched in an alternating fashion.

You can get an electric mochi maker that tumbles the mochi for you.
 
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