Ohagi (Sweet Rice Mochi) & Kodomo No Hi 2010 (Japanese Childrens & Boys Day)
 
Ingredients
  • FOR OHAGI (MOCHI RICE BALLS):
  • 3 cups mochigome (sweet, glutinous rice)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 drop blue food coloring
  • FOR TSUBUAN (SWEET RED BEAN PASTE):
  • 4 cups tsubuan (red bean paste) (see Recipe page on BebeLoveOkazu.com)
  • FOR KINAKO POWDER:
  • ½ cup kinako (soy bean flour)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar (to taste)
  • 1 - 2 dashes of salt
Instructions
  1. MAKE TSUBUAN: See BebeLoveOkazu.com Recipe page for details). Allow this to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate if necessary. If you do refrigerate this, reheat it before using it to wrap the ohagi. Sprinkle a little water over the tsubuan and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute.
  2. Wash mochigome well, until the water is clear. Drain, then let stand for 30 minutes. Add 3 cups water according to your rice cooker's measurement guideline for mochi. Add 1 drop of blue food color to make teal-colored mochi. Once cooked, if you aren't planning to make the rice balls immediately, use your rice cooker's warming mode to keep the rice warm until you're ready.
  3. Before getting started, allow the rice to cool down by scooping some of it into a large bowl. Cut a few sheets of plastic cling wrap, which will be used shape the ohagi rice balls.
  4. Next, cover a large tray with plastic wrap. This is where you'll rest your mochi after you've shaped them into balls. You may want to prepare a second tray, also lined with plastic wrap to rest the ohagi after you've coated them with tsubuan (sweet red bean paste) and kinako (soy bean powder).
  5. MAKE OHAGI MOCHI BALLS: Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay this on the palm of your hand. Scoop about 2 - 3 tablespoons of rice into your hand, wrap it in plastic wrap and shape into ovals or circles. I make round balls, but my mom makes oval-shaped mochi for ohagi. Pinch the cling wrap closed around the ball to help shape the mochi into a nice smooth ball.
  6. Let the mochi cool to room temperature if it hasn't done so already. This will be easier when working with the tsubuan.
  7. MAKE TSUBUAN OHAGI: Take a clean piece of plastic wrap and spread 3 - 4 tablespoons of tsubuan using a spatula. This should be thick enough so that the mochi doesn't peek through the tsubuan. Place a rice ball in the center of the tsubuan. You might want to place the top-side of your mochi face down on the tsubuan, since the bottom of the tsubuan will become the top of the ohagi. (Refer to photos on BebeLoveOkazu.com for details.)
  8. Gently pull the sides of the cling wrap, one side at a time. There will likely be excess tsubuan as you wrap the mochi. Gently scrape the excess with a spatula and return to the bowl for use with the next mochi. You may also need to smoothe some of the rough edges using the cling wrap, or your finger.
  9. When you are done wrapping the mochi with tsubuan (it should still be resting on the cling wrap), gently close the cling wrap and pinch the cling wrap to shape the ohagi once more into a nice round ball.
  10. Flip the cling-wrapped ohagi over, double check the shape of it - make sure you like it - because once you remove the plastic wrap it will be extremely difficult to shape the ohagi without damaging the tsubuan wrapped around the mochi.
  11. Remove the cling wrap, and lay the tsubuan ohagi on the plastic wrap lined tray.
  12. MAKE KINAKO OHAGI: First mix kinako powder and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside. (Kinako or soy bean flour can be found at Japanese supermarkets, and likely at other Asian markets too.) Place some of the kinako mixture in a small bowl, and gently rest mochi on the powder. Gently spoon the kinako over the mochi.
  13. TIP: It's best to dust the kinako ohagi just before serving. As the kinako ohagi sits, the powder becomes damp from the mochi. If this happens, just dust the ohagi once more with additional kinako.
Recipe by Bebe Love Okazu at https://bebeloveokazu.com/2010/05/05/ohagi-sweet-rice-ball/