Mochi

[tofumania]

I was just trying to do homemade mochi, spent almost one hour yesterday pounding on the sweet rice , and today i tried to "fry" then without oil in a casserole, but it was just a sticky mess....

how do you cook your mochi???????????

[alanna]

Hi all,

Sorry tofumania, I don't have any answers for you. I would really like to know how to cook mochi as well. I purchased some pre-made mochi but it seems really hard. Do I need to warm it up before I break it into pieces? I would like to cook it in my waffle iron but I'm not sure how.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Alanna

[Bruce Paine]

Well, Tofumania, and alanna,

Karma CookBook: Great Tasting Dishes to Nourish Your Body and Feed Your Soul by Dragana G. Brown with Boy George
contains the following recipes:

"Fried Mochi with Syrup

Warm a cast-iron frying pan over a low heat for 1 minute. Add the oil, turn the heat up to medium and wait for half a minute. Add the mochi, cover and fry each side for 2-3 minutes until it puffs up slightly. Meanwhile, place the rice and maple syrups in a small pan and heat until they start to bubble. Take the mochi out of the frying pan, and put two blocks on each plate. Pour a small amount of the sauce on each serving of mochi whilst it is still hot. To serve, squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over the mochi.

maple syrup

8 blocks of mochi, cut in quarters
2-3 tbsp sesame or sunflower oil

FOR THE SAUCE
2 tbsp rice syrup
1 tbsp maple syrup
a few drops of lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Fried Mochi Savoury

Warm a cast-iron frying pan over a low heat for 1 minute. Add the oil, turn the heat up to medium and wait for half a minute. Add the machi, cover and fry each side for 2-3 minutes. Take the mochi out and put 2 blocks on each plate. Mix all the dressing ingredients together and divide between servings, spreading it evenly on top of the mochi slices.

8 blocks of mochi
2-3 tbsp sesame or sunflower oil

FOR THE DRESSING
1 tbsp natural sauerkraut
(consisting of just cabbage and salt),
finely chopped 50g fresh daikon, finely grated
1 tsp shoyu
1 tsp brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp nori flakes"

From Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford


"MOCHI
Widely used in Japan as a medicinal food, mochi is easy to digest and is excellent during convalescence; it is used for anemia, for strengthening weakened conditions in general, and it aids breast-feeding mothers in supplying abundant, high quality milk. Mochi is made by pounding 'sweet' or 'glutinous' rice; it is necessary to use an unbreakable bowl (e. g., stainless steel). A large wooden pestle, tradi. tionally called a kien, is used to pound the rice. The end of a baseball bat, a board, or a large woqden mallet work equally well.

MOCHI

3 cups sweet rice 5 cups water
% teaspoon sea salt

. Simmer rice in salted water for 2-3 hours, or pressure cook for 20 minutes (until very soft).
. Place in a large sturdy bowl and pound until
all grains are broken (a paste will form).
. Sprinkle the rice mass and bottom of pestle
with cold water occasionally to prevent
sticking.
. With moistened hands, shape dough into
balls, patties, squares, etc.
. Serve fresh or pan-roasted. Makes one
pound.
. Refrigerate or dry to store. Mochi will harden in about 12 hours, at
which point try baking, toasting, frying, or boiling into soups before
eating.
Variations. Add fresh or dried mugwort leaves the last 5-10 minutes of cooking
the sweet rice. Fresh or dried nettle leaves may be substituted.
. Pound and shape, etc., as above.

Note

Suggestions. Top with grated daikon and shoyu.
. Roll mochi balls in toasted, ground walnut meats. . Wrap nori strips around mochi squares."

From Japanese Foods That Heal: Using Traditional Ingredients to Promote Health, Longevity & Well-being by John and Jan Belleme

COOKING WITH MOCHI
Mochi is versatile and easy to cook. Fresh, homemade mochi can be used immediately to make a variety of tasty o-hagi, a traditional Japanese treat (opposite). Store-bought mochi or homemade mochi that has been shaped and dried can be baked, broiled, grilled, pan-fried . or deep-fried. When prepared using any of these methods, mochi puffs up to nearly double its size, developing a crisp exterior and a soft, melting interior. If cooked too long, the surface will crack and the soft inside will ooze out. So watch mochi carefully while it cooks. Baked, broiled or grilled mocm is often eaten with a sweet miso topping.

Baked mochi can also be diced and added to soups during the last minute of cooking. Pan- or deep-fried mochi needs nothing more than a light seasoning of soy sauce or a soy. ginger dip. Machi can also be rolled in rice malt syrup, then coated with walnut meal and eaten as dessert or served as a healthy snack. Melt a couple pieces of mochi in a waflle iron, then top the delicious whole-grain waflle with warmed rice malt syrup and chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts.

Occasionally mochi becomes dry and begins to crack. Soaking very dry moch! for several hours in cold water will cause it to soften. It can then be prepared in any way.

The recipes in this chapter will show you how to make your own mochi at home as well as providing a variety of ways to prepare this delicious and popular whole-grain treat.

Homemade Mochi

Mochi is fun to make at home, and it enables you to enjoy o-hagi (opposite), which cannot be made with store-bought mochi. In Japan, many people make mochi at home with a specially-designed mochi machine. We find that a standard food grinder-either hand-powered or electric-will make mochi almost effortlessly. Whatever brand of food grinder or chopper you use, it is important to use the fine grinding plate so the grains of cooked rice cannot pass through it intact. A plate with I Is-inch (3-mm) holes works perfectly, whereas 3/16-inch (4-mm) holes are slightly too large. We use a pres. sure cooker to cook the sweet rice, because it makes the grains softer, but pot-boiling is fine if you do not have a pressure cooker. Although we usually make larger batches of mochi and keep some on hand, the following is a good amount to start with:

2 cups (400 g) sweet brown rice
2 cups (475 ml) water
2 pinches of sea salt

1. Wash the rice, drain well and combine it with the water and salt in a pressure cooker. Cover and bring to pressure over high heat, then reduce to low and cook for 40 minutes. (If boiling, use II II cups [375 ml] water per I cup [200 g] sweet rice, bring to a full boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.)
2. Remove pressure cooker from the heat and allow pressure to return to normal. Open cooker and fluff rice with a fork, then let it rest for a few minutes.
3. Set up the food grinder and place a bowl under the mouth of the grinder to catch the ground rice as it comes out.
4. Fill the hopper and press the rice down with a wooden stamper (never use your fingers!) while grinding. Continue until all the rice has been ground.
5. To make cleanup easy, immediately disassemble the grinder, place the parts in the empty rice pot, fill it with hot water and let them soak.
6. At this point the mochi is sticky and moist. It can be used immediately to make o-hagi (opposite) or allowed to become firm and reserved for later use. If you wish to store some or all of the batch, dust a baking sheet with arrowroot and place the mochi in the center. Sprinkle arrowroot over the surface and roll or pat the fresh mochi into a I/2-inch (l-cm)-thick rectangle.
7. Allow the mochi to dry in a cool place for 1 to 2 days before slicing. In warm weather the mochi should be left out for no more than 24 hours, then covered loosely and refrigerated.
8. When it is firm enough to slice and hold its shape, it can be cooked in any of the recipes that follow.

Note to Cook
During very warm (above 75°F/24°C) or humid weather we recommend storing mochi in Ziploc sandwich bags. Fill the bogs with mochi as it comes out of the grinder. Flatten to an even thickness, seal and refrigerate. After 2 to 3 days these handy, convenient packs will be quite firm and ready to be sliced and cooked. If you want to freeze some, wait until the mochi becomes firm. Otherwise, it will be too sticky and moist when thawed.

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS (900 G) Preparation time: 15 to 30 minutes plus 2 days to dry if not using as fresh mochi Cooking time: about 1 hour

The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Resource for Healthy Eating by Rebecca Wood

MOCHI
When Japanese children look at the full moon, they don't see the man in the moon; rather, they see a rabbit pounding mochi. Look and you'll se the rabbit's ears at the top right as she faces left with a long pestle in hand, pounding cooked sweet rice until it becomes glutinous. Mochi is such a favorite
Japanese food that New Year's Day feasting I includes mochi as a harbinger of good in the coming year.
- Health Benefits Mochi is benefidal for pregnant and lactating women and for children. It becomes so elastic with the pounding that, as macrobiotic teacher Aveline Kushi used to say, "it supports our being flexible." Mochi strengthens the kidneys, builds blood, and helps regulate blood sugar. Mochi also reduces vatd.
Use Mochi is my favorite "instant" natural food on the market. Flavored or otherwise, it may be baked, broiled, or fried until it puffs. I like it best sliced into thin (1/4 inch) pieces and baked in a waffle iron. It puffs up into an airy, crunchy but moist, satisfying waffle. Serve hot with a sweet or savory dipping sauce. To make mochi from scratch, pound cooked sweet rice with a pestle or beat it in a heavy-duty mixer until it becomes glutinous. Enjoy it fresh or form it into a flat cake, dust with arrowroot flour, and refrigerate until use.

MOCHI POUNDING PARTY

In my community, a pregnant woman is cause to pound mochi. It's especially good for pregnant women. I cook up a pot of sweet rice, call in women friends, and pull out a wooden baseball bat. Then we take turns pounding the hot rice to a sticky, gooey consistency. For some reason, hand-pounded mochi tastes better than machine-made mochi. Next, with moistened fingers, we tear off bite-size pieces, roll them in a savory condiment or in chopped nuts, and then feast. At such a feast, we include a Blessing Way, borrowed from Navajo tradition, in which we offer wishes and a small talisman for good birthing and a healthy babe.

Buying Richly flavored whole grain mochi is available in the refrigerated or frozen section of natural food stores. The white rice mochi available in Asian food markets puffs beautifully but lacks flavor.
See Sweet Rice."

In the refridgerated sections of your natural foods store or co-op, you most likely will find amasake (Amazake) and mochi made by GRAINAISSANCE :


Mochi Recipe Ideas

Mochi is a versatile food that is easy to prepare and may be eaten every day.

Basic Mochi Recipe

* Open a package of Mochi.
* With a large, sharp knife, cut into pieces about 1-1/2" square.
* Bake in a pre-heated 450° F oven or toaster-oven for 8-10 minutes or until squares are puffed up and slightly browned.



Mochi is delicious and satisfying eaten just this way. You can also fill the Mochi puffs with your favorite sandwich ingredients, sauces, or spreads. Here are some ideas we like: Top or stuff with butter and honey. Stuff with peanut butter or almond butter. Add jam if you like. Dip in a mixture of soy sauce, honey and fresh-grated ginger. Stuff with sliced or grated cheese. Stuff with avocado, tomato, sprouts and salad dressing. Fill with tabouli salad, tahini or baba ganoush. Smother with Italian-style tomato sauce and cheese. Fill with beans, cheese, tomatoes and onions for a Mochi Burrito. Fill with sautéed vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, and onions. Stuff with cream cheese, dates and cashews.

Mochi Waffles

* Place several pieces of Mochi cut about 2" square onto a lightly oiled waffle iron, spaced apart.
* Bake for 10 minutes or until slightly crispy.

*

The pieces will melt together to form a perfect waffle, ready to add your favorite toppings. (Note: You may need to use a lower setting for Raisin-Cinnamon or Cashew-Date.)

Mochi pizza: top with tomato sauce, bell peppers, onions and cheese.

Mochi breakfast waffle: Use Raisin-Cinnamon or Cashew-Date Mochi and top with maple syrup or preserves.

Pan-Fried Mochi

* Cut Mochi into squares
* Brush both sides lightly with cooking oil
* In a heavy skillet, cook the Mochi over a medium flame 6 minutes on each side

*

Here are some serving ideas: Top with grated or sliced cheese for a Mochi Quesadilla. Serve with steamed squash or pumpkin. Serve with steamed broccoli or carrots. Top with mashed potatoes and butter. Serve Raisin-Cinnamon or Cashew-Date Mochi with butter on top.

Traditional Japanese Ways to Cook Mochi

Deep-fried Mochi
Deep-fry Mochi pieces in cooking oil for 5 minutes until golden brown. Good with daikon radish and soy sauce.

Mochi Dumplings
Heat Mochi pieces in vegetable broth or soup.

Japanese Mochi Dessert
Boil Mochi pieces in water for 5 minutes, dip in honey or maple syrup, and roll mochi in roasted soy flour.

When you are traveling or you are in a situation where you have no refrigeration, try this very excellent mochi .


Be well, be your best, and be blessed!

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[Hebbie]

I must admit that I am not a huge Mochi fan, but at The Kushi Institute, I learned a few recipes.

Mochi Waffles:

Grate hardened mochi into shredded pieces
Place some shredded mochi into a hot waffle iron and heat until crispy
This makes nice, light, crispy mochi waffles!

Take brown rice syrup, thinned with water, and add lemon zest and heat until warm -- drizzle over waffle. It's actually pretty good!

They also took chunks of mochi and wrapped it in cabbage leaves, and heated in a skillet until gooey. I didn't love it, but a lot of people did!

[Bruce Paine]

Hebbie,

The more you chew it, the sweeter it will taste!

My guess is that the mochi you were served at the K.I. was mochi made from organically grown whole grain sweet rice.

Imagine how relatively tasteless the white sweet rice mochi that the non-macrobiotic community eats:

(the more you chew, the less tasty it becomes!)

Tell us more about yourself and what brought you to macrobiotics.

Be well, be your best, and be blessed!

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine