Mochi/お餅/麻糬/麻糍

This is a basic mochi (rice cake) recipe that I use to make plain mochi for Japanese New Year. Once you have mastered it, you can use it to make daifuku too. There are many ways to enjoy plain mochi, both savory and sweet. For example, add it in okonomiyaki, tonpeyaki, any kind of soup, zenzai (mochi with sweet red bean soup), and so on. 

The fresh mochi is very soft and bouncy, you should try it at least once. When we went to a local mochi-tsuki event, they served fresh mochi with:

1. soy sauce (dipping)

2. sweet red bean paste (at the side)

3. roasted soy bean powder and brown sugar syrup (topping)

4. red bean soup (in the soup) , zenzai

Attention: Choking hazards, especially young kids and eldery.

Quick and easy Mochi (Bread Maker)  

Ingredients:

300 g Glutinous rice, short grain

Corn flour

Methods:

**If your bread maker comes with a "mochi" mode, use it. Otherwise follow the steps below.

1. Rinse then soak the glutinous rice over night.
2. Drain, steam the rice for 30 minutes or until the rice is well cooked.
3. Transfer the steamed rice into a bread maker while it is still hot. Select Udon/Pasta mode, "knead" until it turned into a smooth thick paste - mochi. It takes about 30 minutes.
4. Turn the mochi onto a tray or working suface dusted with generous amount of corn starch, divide and shape the mochi into small balls. It can be very sticky. ***
5. It is best eaten fresh but can be stored in the freezer for upto 3 months. Allow to cool completely then put them in a freezer bag. 

***For Chinese style mua-chi (麻糍) , turn the mochi onto a tray or container filled with the Mixture ground peanuts and sugar. Then. use a pair of scissors to cut it into small pieces.