Japan · Sweet Dishes · Vegetarian

Mochi

Name: Mochi
Prep time: 9 min
Cook time: 21 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 cup glutinous rice; 2 cup water; 0.25 cup sugar; 0.25 cup starch; 0.5 tsp salt; 1 cup sliced fruit

Mochi is a traditional Japanese dessert with a unique, delicate texture made from glutinous rice, filled with fresh fruit — the taste varies with the filling but the exquisite chewy texture is always recognizable.

30 min 85 kcal 10 serves Easy🌿Vegetarian🇯🇵Japan★★★★☆4.4· 5 reviews

Ingredients

ServingsMetric

1 cupglutinous rice
2 cupwater
¼ cupsugar
¼ cupstarch
½ tspsalt
1 cupsliced fruit

Note from Sergei

Sergei Martynov

“Mochi is all about glutinous rice flour (mochiko or shiratamako) — regular rice flour will not work and produces a completely different, grainy texture. The traditional pounding method is called mochitsuki, but the microwave or steaming method works beautifully at home. The dough is incredibly sticky by design, so keep your hands, surfaces, and tools generously dusted with potato starch or cornstarch at all times. When filling mochi (daifuku style), work quickly — the dough becomes harder to shape as it cools. Stretch the dough thin enough to see the filling through it, but not so thin it tears. The key is warm, freshly made dough and cold filling.”

For the smoothest texture, use shiratamako (granulated glutinous rice flour) rather than mochiko (powdered). Warm fillings will make the dough extra sticky and impossible to seal — freeze your red bean or ice cream filling for at least 1 hour before wrapping.

Method

Soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain.
Steam the rice for 30 minutes until soft and sticky.
Mix the chopped fruit with the sugar and starch for the filling.
Place cooked rice in a bowl, add salt, and knead with your hands until a smooth paste forms.
Divide paste into walnut-sized balls. Place fruit filling in the center of each ball. Close tightly to prevent leaking.
Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

FAQ

No, regular starch or wheat flour won't work — mochi requires glutinous rice flour (mochiko or shiratamako) to achieve its characteristic chewy, elastic texture. Cornstarch will turn out too brittle, and wheat flour will make a completely different dough. Glutinous rice flour is available at Asian grocery stores and in large supermarkets.

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Comments (1)

Sergei Martynov✍ Author
29d ago
I weigh every ingredient for mochi instead of using cups. Baking is chemistry. An extra tablespoon of glutinous rice can push this from perfectly balanced to dense and heavy. A $15 scale pays for itself immediately.