MAY 2020 (vol. 152)
OCHIKERON’s
Ohagi
Ohagi or Botamochi is a traditional Japanese sweet made with sweet sticky rice and sweet Azuki (red bean paste). There are different stories about the origin of having two names: you can google and find them, but either name is correct to call. BTW, I call it Ohagi when it is coated with red bean paste with skins. Botamochi without skins. Hehe
We enjoy Ohagi or Botamochi as an everyday snack but it is commonly sold in stores during the buddhist Higan holiday in spring and fall, and Bon holiday in summer as well for an offering to the ancestors.
Homemade one is very soft and delicate!!!Please try it out 😉
お彼岸 3月＆9月
Ohagi / Botamochi (Japanese Sweet Sticky Rice Balls)
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1hr
Number of servings: about 10 pieces
Ingredients:
1 rice measuring cup uncooked Mochi sticky rice
1 rice measuring cup uncooked white rice
Tsubu-an (sweet Azuki red bean paste with skins)
Kinako (soybean flour) + sugar if you like
Ground toasted black sesame seeds + sugar if you like
Aonori (green laver)
Directions:
1. Wash rice and leave for about 30 minutes.
2. Put the rice in a pot, add water to the appropriate level indicated in the pot. Place the pot into the rice cooker. Cover and press the button to start.
3. When it’s done, mash the rice with a wooden pestle then toss the rice with a rice paddle (or you can use a potato masher). Repeat this to mash halfway through or until you get the grain texture to your preference.
4. Divide the rice and Tsubu-an (red bean paste) to make them easy to work with. Red bean outside: 40g rice + 60g red bean paste. Rice outside: 70g rice + 30g red bean paste.
5. Use plastic wrap or wet your hand with water to form them into an oval shape. Coat the rice ones with Kinako, sesame seeds, or Aonori.
