Yahoo Lifestyle It's Super Easy to Make Mochi at Home—Here's How to Do It
Lunar New Year is celebrated with different foods depending on the culture, but across the Asian diaspora, there is one food in particular that holds a special place during many celebrations: rice cakes.
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What Are Rice Cakes?
The most recognizable rice cake in the West is Japanese mochi, but there is a wide and wonderful world of Asian rice cakes, all possessing symbolic meaning in the context of Lunar New Year.
My family is from Vietnam and Hong Kong, so we celebrate by making nian gao, or steamed rice cake, from scratch. I can vividly recall my Vietnamese grandmother making bánh chưng, or savory rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves. For the Lunar New Year, the Japanese celebrate with kagami mochi (or mirror rice cake) and Koreans enjoy tteokguk, or rice cake soup.
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My son, who is partly Taiwanese and Filipino, loves rice cakes of any sort. This year, I decided we should remix things in our third-culture kitchen with a fun and easy homemade mochi using the microwave and just two ingredients: ice cream and mochiko or glutinous rice flour.
This mochi is Japanese-inspired but please note that in no way do I claim this to be the authentic way of making traditional Japanese mochi. I tend to use the term mochi loosely to connotate different types of food inspired by Japanese mochi that possess the quintessential QQ, which is the term for the bouncy, chewy, springy texture of foods like tapioca pearls, fish balls, some noodles and rice cakes.
Related: The Japanese Way to Make Rice Bowls 10x Better
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How to Make Two-Ingredient Mochi
Start by melting three scoops (or about 180 grams) of ice cream in the microwave. You can also just let the ice cream melt on the counter overnight. Any flavor of ice cream will work here, even ice creams with mix-ins like chocolate chips and cookie dough will be fine.
Once the ice cream is melted, transfer it to a bowl. Add 85 grams of mochiko or glutinous rice flour. Next, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, poking a few small holes in the wrap using a fork or toothpick to let steam escape. Microwave the mixture on high power for 1 minute, then carefully remove from the microwave. Use a spatula to mix the mochi thoroughly. Cover it again and microwave for another 90 seconds.
Related: How to Make Fudgy Brownies with Sweet Rice Flour
Let the mixture cool for about a minute before using a spatula to knead and fold the mochi in the bowl. The mochi should be solid yet pliable and a little translucent with a stretchy texture, like taffy or bubble gum. If you notice any wet or runny spots, microwave the mixture for an additional 30 seconds. Cut into desired size pieces.
If the mochi feels too sticky to handle, dust it lightly with cornstarch to make it easier to work with. You can also wet your hands with a little neutral oil like corn or vegetable oil.
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How to Customize Mochi
There are so many ways you can enjoy this two-ingredient mochi. Cut them into smaller pieces, roll them out (dust your work surface with cornstarch if the mochi is getting sticky) and stuff them with small balls of ice cream that you've scooped and frozen in advance. Stick the mochi-wrapped ice cream balls into the freezer to firm back up. You can also stuff them with red bean paste. Both of these ideas fall under the category of daifuku, which are Japanese desserts where mochi is wrapped around. sweet filling.
You can also roll the mochi into small balls and drizzle with caramel, honey or sweetened condensed milk, then top with crunchy things like graham cracker crumbs, crushed peanuts or sesame seeds. Try using this mochi as a filling for brownies and cookies to give the treats a chewy spin.
My son and I love making this fun and easy two-ingredient mochi at home. It’s a great way for us to celebrate Lunar New Year with a modern twist. It’s through small moments like these that help keep us connected to the countries that make up our heritage while we embrace new traditions as Asian Americans.
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