May 9, 2010

Warabi Mochi-Like Puru Puru O-Mochi/わらびもち風ぷるぷるおモチ

Warabi mochi is very popular in Kansai (Western Japan), but in Kanto (Eastern Japan), it is much, much less popular. I, for one, had heard nothing of it when I lived in Tokyo. It was only after I joined eGullet that I learned about warabi mochi.
The following explains how to make mochi similar to warabi mochi. I don't know what warabi mochi purists will have to say about it, but as for me, I like it very much.
わらび餅は関西ではとても一般的ですが、関東ではあまり一般的ではありません。私自身は東京に住んでいる頃は聞いたことがありません。私がわらび餅のことを知ったのは、eGulletに入ってからです。
以下に紹介するのは、わらび餅に似たお餅の作り方です。わらび餅にこだわりのある人は何て思うか分かりませんが、私自身は大好きです。

This recipe is from the November 28, 2009 edition of the famous TV show, Sekai Ichi Uketai Jugyo (The Most Useful School in the World).
Access the website linked to above, scroll down, and click the "hand" with a long index finger in the second orange box to view the photos.
このレシピーは、2009年11月28日放送の、有名なテレビ番組「世界一受けたい授業」から知りました。
リンク先のサイトにアクセスし、スクロールダウンして、2番目のオレンジ色の枠内の、大きな人差し指の「手」をクリックすると、写真が見れます。

Ingredients:
300 ml (= 300 g) water
6 tbs (= 60 g) katakuriko (potato starch)
4 tbs (= 40 g) sugar

Directions:
Put all the ingredients in a pan, and mix well.
Heat over medium heat, constantly stirring, until transparent.
Immerse in iced water.
When chilled, tear into small pieces by hand.
Have them with kinako* and kuro mitsu (syrup made from kurozato (muscovado)).

*Kinako means roasted soybean flour, but we often use the term to mean a mixture of kinako and sugar (and a pinch of salt). Kinako is usually mixed with sugar at a ratio of 1:1. Adjust the ratio to your preferences.
材料:
水300 ml (= 300 g)
片栗粉大さじ6 (= 60 g)
砂糖大さじ4 (= 40 g)

作り方:
鍋に材料を入れ、よく混ぜる。
中火にかけ、かき混ぜながら、透明になるまで火を通す。
冷水に取る。
冷えたら、手で小さくちぎる。
きな粉と黒蜜で食べる。


I used a non-stick frying pan.
私はテフロン加工のフライパンを使いました。

I continued to heat over low heat for longer than necessary (for about 2 min.) to make sure that it was done.
私は、確実に火が通るよう、必要以上に長く(約2分)弱火で火を通しました。

Instead of putting in iced water, I put some kinako on a large plate, and transferred the mochi to the plate.
氷水に入れる代わりに、大きなお皿にきな粉を敷き、そこに餅を移しました。

Have it with a lot of kinako! (I didn't use kuromitsu.)
きな粉をたくさんつけて食べましょう!(私は黒蜜は使いませんでした。)


The recipe is quite similar to that of my milk mochi.
For my milk mochi, use
200 ml milk
2 tbs katakuriko
1 tbs sugar
As you can easily imagine from the ingredient ratio, my milk mochi is less chewy than the warabi mochi-like mochi shown above.
このレシピーは私のミルク餅iとよく似ています。
私のミルク餅には、
牛乳200 ml
片栗粉大さじ2
砂糖大さじ1
を使います。
材料の割合からすぐに想像できるように、私のミルク餅は、上記のわらび餅風おモチより柔らかめです。

9 comments:

Amatō said...

Hiroyuki, do you like this kind of warabi mochi?
I ask, because I made "real" warabimochi from warabi-ko, and warabi mochi from warabi-mochiko(in this premixed flour is no warabi at all).
I liked the "real" warabi mochi very much(they get golden-dark after cooking) but didn't liked the premixed flour...These mochi were strange, not my taste.
(But I liked your milk mochi very much!)
If you have the possibility to get the flour, give it a try, its great.I bought it here:http://item.rakuten.co.jp/marusanpantry/654182/(it is not pure warabi, but very tasty.Pure warabiko is very expensive...)

Hiroyuki said...

Amato: Yes, I do! The bland flavor of the mochi is obscured by the intense flavor of kinako!

I can imagine that warabi mochi made from 100% warabi ko should be great, but sorry to say, I have never had such authentic warabi mochi. As I suggested in the post, warabi mochi is so foreign to the Kanto people.

You bought warabi ko from a Japanese supplier?? I can see that, because I know you have a starch entry in your blog, which contains detailed descriptions of all warabi ko and warabi ko-related products!

Amatō said...

Yes, I bought it form Marusan Pantry http://item.rakuten.co.jp/marusanpantry this is a mix of 5% hon warabi and lotusflour. Not so expensive but very,very tasty, much better than warabimochiko.There is also a recipe they send with.I had it like you with kuro mitsu and kinako.YUM!

Hiroyuki said...

Amato: I'm glad that I'm not so particular about the flavor of warabi mochi (laugh)!

Maybe I should have real, authentic warabi mochi made from 100% warabi ko, then I may come to a different conclusion.

In the meantime, my fake warabi mochi is good enough for me!

Jasmine said...

Goodness, just wanted to express my gratitude for this threat of comments, and that it was in English.

I only just found out warabi mochi which I had once my last trip and could not forget, is not going to be easily found in a coming trip to Hokkaido has made me desperate to find a sustainable source. Amatō-san might not see this, but I'm so so grateful for that link... Thanks Hiroyuki-san for bringing this up too.

Hiroyuki said...

Jasmine: Thanks for your comment. I first thought you were thanking for the post. I hope you find all the necessary ingredients!

Jasmine said...

!! I meant "thread of comments". Gosh that was a horrible typo... I'll be adapting from your recipe until I can get my hands on the warabi-lotus root mix. Lotus root and potato flour is comparatively easy to get here so I'll be using those to stave off my craving in the mean time.. Thanks!

Unknown said...

I miss so much warabi mochi and I'm so thankful for this simple recipe 🙏 Hiroyuki

Hiroyuki said...

Unknown,
I hope you can find potato starch where you live. If you use corn starch, the texture should be different.