🍓 Easy Microwave Strawberry Mochi

What is Mochi?

Mochi is a delightful Japanese treat (also known as wagashi) that is made from glutinous rice, a popular ingredient in Asia. This traditional rice cakes holds significant cultural importance in Japan, especially during new year. It’s making, known as "mochitsuki", a cherished tradition that involves families and communities coming together to pound steamed rice into the mochi with a wooden mallet. 

Mochi that is stuffed with a sweet filling is known as daifuku. This strawberry mochi is known as ichigo daifuku. This is mostly found during winter and summertime because they use many seasonal fruits such as mango and strawberries. 

Strawberry Daifuku is usually made with red bean paste, but you can use white bean paste as well. 

The slightly tart strawberry works perfectly with the sweet bean paste and chewy mochi. If you haven’t tried this yet, you are really missing out, and the best part is, you don’t even need to go to Japan to try it! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

Glutinous Rice Flour: Also known as sweet rice flour or sticky rice flour, it is an essential ingredient in mochi. Its high starch content is what gives mochi its signature chewy and sticky texture. 

Red Bean Paste: For this recipe, you can use homemade or store bought paste. I recommend store bought paste as making it at home is very time consuming. It’s a traditional and very popular ingredient that adds a sweet and flavourful element to the mochi dough.  

White Sugar: Also known as granulated sugar, it is used to sweeten the mochi dough as well as to give it a softer texture. 

Cornstarch: Constarch is used to thicken the mochi dough and give it more structure. 

Whole Milk: Milk is used to hydrate the dough as well as add extra fat and protein to the dough. This results in smoother and softer mochi. If you want to make this dairy-free you can replace this with water.

Pink Food Colouring(optional): This makes it more appetizing and visually appealing. Perfect if you are serving it to others. 

Vegetable Oil: Kneading vegetable oil into the dough makes it softer, chewier and easier to handle because it will be less sticky. 

Strawberries: I recommend getting large strawberries that will fit into your mochi perfectly, giving you a good looking and delicious treat. 

💡 Tips for the Perfect Mochi

Test Your Microwave Power: Different microwaves have different wattages. Adjust your microwaves time according to its wattage because cooking Mochi for too long can result in it being stiff and dry. 

Use a Non-Stick Spatula: This will make it easier to mix, spread and shape the hot Mochi dough without it sticking to your utensils. 

Seal Mochi Thoroughly: Ensure that the Mochi dough is wrapped around the strawberry nice and tightly. Doing this will ensure there are no leaks during storage or when you are serving it. 

My Favourite Recipe Variations

Berry Mix Mochi: Replace the strawberry in the middle with other berries such as blueberries, raspberries or cranberries for a unique fruit combination. This also makes your Mochi more rich and flavourful.  

Strawberry Cheesecake Mochi: Add a bit of cream cheese next to the strawberry for a cheesecake-like flavour. 

Mochi Dough

 200g Glutinous Rice Flour (also called Mochiko, Sweet Rice Flour and Sticky Rice Flour)

 65g White Sugar

 40g Cornstarch

 360ml Whole Milk (or water for dairy-free)

 1 ½ tbsp Vegetable Oil

 Pink Food Coloring

Filling

 600g Red Bean Paste (store-bought or homemade)(also known as anko)

 8 Large Strawberries, washed 

Instructions

1. Prepare the Red Bean Paste

1. Divide the red bean paste into 8 equal portions.
2. Roll each portion into a small ball and set aside.

2. Make the Mochi Dough

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour, sugar, and cornstarch.
2. Add milk and mix until smooth. Add pink food coloring if desired.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (poke a few holes for steam to escape).
4. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir well.
5. Microwave again for another 2 minutes. Stir again.
6. If the dough is still slightly liquid, continue microwaving in 1-minute intervals until it becomes semi-translucent.
7. Once done, let the dough cool slightly until it's okay to handle.

3. Assemble the Mochi

1. Dust a clean surface with cornstarch or potato starch.
2. Divide the mochi dough into 8 equal pieces.
3. Flatten each piece into a circle large enough to wrap around a strawberry.
4. Place one red bean paste ball in the center of each mochi circle.
5. Place a strawberry on top, pointed tip facing up.
6. Gently stretch and wrap the mochi around the filling, sealing it at the bottom.

4. Serve & Enjoy!

Lightly dust with extra cornstarch if needed. Enjoy fresh or store in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.

💬 Tried This Recipe?

Let me know how it went in the comments! 😊 Until next time… Happy Baking! 🎉