Strawberry Spiced Red Bean Mochi
A whole strawberry hidden inside a warm cinnamon-vanilla-ginger red bean paste, wrapped in soft, chewy mochi. Three months of tweaking to finally get it right.
Prep
40 min
Cook
15 min
Total
55 min
Servings
8
Ingredients
- 100 g glutinous rice flour (mochiko)
- 15 g cornstarch (for the dough)
- 30 g cornstarch (for dusting)
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 160 ml water
- 200 g cooked red beans (or azuki)
- 40 g brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 pinch salt
- 8 small strawberries, whole (for the filling)
- 1 tsp orange zest (optional)
Method
- 1
Make the filling: mash the cooked red beans in a saucepan with a masher or fork (or blend for a smoother texture). Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, ginger and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until you have a thick, shapeable paste. If it feels too dry, add a splash of water at a time.
- 2
Cool and wrap the strawberries: spread the paste on a plate and let it cool until just warm, then divide into 8 equal portions. Flatten each portion in your palm, place a whole strawberry in the centre, and wrap the paste fully around it to form a ball. Chill in the fridge until firm.
- 3
Make the mochi dough: in a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice flour, cornstarch, sugar and water until smooth. Microwave in 30–60 second bursts, stirring between each, until the dough turns translucent and stretchy (2–3 minutes total). You can also steam it instead.
- 4
Wrap and seal: dust your work surface generously with cornstarch. Divide the hot dough into 8 pieces. Flatten each piece in your hand, place a chilled bean-strawberry ball in the centre, gather the edges up and pinch to seal at the bottom. Dust off any excess cornstarch.
- 5
Serve: sprinkle with a little orange zest if you like. Let rest for 10–15 minutes and serve at room temperature. Best enjoyed fresh, the same day.
Nutrition per serving
115kcal
Calories
3g
Protein
26g
Carbs
1g
Fat