Toasted Mochi — Photo courtesy Michele Namba
As Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple joyfully celebrates its 50th Anniversary A.B.A. Mochitsuki, here are some ideas on how to enjoy delicious mochi:
- In Ozoni, add mochi to a miso or soy sauce-based broth. Vegetables, chicken or fish, udon noodles may be added.
- Isobe-maki
- Cook the mochi until it puffs up & has a gooey consistency inside. There are several ways – toast in a toaster oven; grill over direct heat; bake for 5 mins. in a 450 degree oven; microwave cook on an oven proof dish coated with Pam spray.
- Put a few drops of soy sauce (shoyu) or mixture of shoyu (2 Tbsp.) & sugar (1 Tbsp.) on the mochi then wrap in nori (dried roasted seaweed).
- You can even try your favorite slice of cheese inside the nori, too.
- Coat cooked mochi with kinako (soy bean flour) or a mixture of kinako (2 Tbsp.) & sugar (1 Tbsp.)
- Press slightly softened mochi into a thin round and coat with sea salt & roasted sesame seeds or Nori Furikake. Fry in a skillet with a small amount of vegetable oil.
- Bacon Wrap – Microwave in water bath to soften. Wrap in bacon & grill or fry until crispy.
- Cover a 1-2 Tbsp. sized ball of An or Anko (red bean paste) with a thin round wrap of mochi.
- Toast mochi and pull apart and fold over a 1-2 Tbsp. ball of Anko. Press & coat with roasted sesame seeds. Fry in little bit of oil, about 3 mins. on each side.
- Fill mochi with jelly or nut butters; bake in lightly oiled oven safe glass dish @ 350 degrees for 10 mins.
- Boil mochi in water about 1 min. Dip in melted butter (1 Tbsp.) and shoyu (1/4 tsp.) or try dipping it in ground sesame seeds (1 Tbsp.) with sugar (1/2 tsp.).
- Mochi Ice Cream – Freeze small scooper size portions of your favorite ice cream; using potato or cornstarch roll out a very thin round of fresh mochi and wrap around the ball of ice cream. Place in freezer again to chill.
- Wrap a piece of mango or a strawberry in anko. Wrap this ball inside a thin round of fresh mochi.
- Mochi Garlic Puffs – Bake 1” pieces for 8 mins. in a 450 degree oven. Coat baked mochi with a mixture of butter (3 T.), granulated garlic (1 ½ tsp.) & dried basil or a mix of Italian Seasoning (1 tsp.). You can also try coating in Parmesan cheese.
- Pan fry mochi in sesame oil on very low heat & cover for 3 mins. until it starts to puff up and then turn; apply a few drops of shoyu with water on top then cover again for 2-3 mins. until puffy; wrap in nori.
- Mochi curry – in a casserole dish, alternate layers of curry and mochi pieces; top with cheese and bake.
- Put small pieces inside Okonomiyaki.
- Make croutons or waffles with strips of mochi.
- Fill fresh mochi with lemon curd and roll in finely crushed cookie crumbs or in a mixture of toasted coconut & sugar.
- Enjoy toasty mochi dipped in a yummy mixture of shoyu & sugar.