Plain Mochi

To continue my recent obsession of experimenting with Chinese treats, I recall eating one memorable "new style" mooncake that had a ball of mochi in the center instead of the traditional salty yolk, which was a win-win in my book since I love mochi and hate salty yolks. A bit of research implied that the recipe for mochi was just as deceptively "simple" as that for mooncakes ... except, this time, it really was that simple! Apparently, mochi is quite forgiving as a recipe, though obviously, some mochi will taste/feel/look better than others.

This recipe is intended to make several mochi balls without fillings, as these were intended to be embedded inside other desserts such as mooncakes. While I had perused many sites for tips and techniques, most of the below recipe was adapted from Just One Cookbook.

• 115 g Mochiko (sweet rice flour)
• 50 g sugar
• 180 mL water (or substitute half with coconut milk)

1. Whisk together the mochiko and sugar. Pour in the liquid and whisk until everything is completely blended.
2. Cover the bowl with a plate and microwave on high for 1 minute. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, mix up the contents (making sure to scrape down the sides), then microwave for another minute. Scrape down and mix, then microwave for 30 seconds. Mix the now-pasty contents one more time to ensure everything is blended.
3. Lay parchment paper down on a work surface and keep half a cup of corn or potato starch nearby. Using two spoons, measure out about 20 g of the mochi paste onto a scale. Coating your fingertips and palms with the starch, pick up the measured mochi paste and roll into a ball, then dip directly into the starch to cover the surface more thoroughly, brushing off the excess and ensuring that it is no longer sticky to handle. Repeat until the mochi paste has been used up.
4. Can be eaten plain, or stored in an air-tight container.

Note: This is one of the few times where I didn't adjust the sugar levels. Not only was it already pretty mild in sweetness, but the sugar is apparently important in maintaining the pliability of the mochi, so cutting it out unduly would have adverse affects on the texture. Also, my instructions on how to handle the dough is simply my personal preference for how to get a VERY sticky paste into a prettier-looking ball. You can certainly feel free to experiment with your own techniques.