My Okinawa trip taught me to appreciate beni imo mochi (purple sweet potato)– both making and learning the technique of eating it directly from its casing. This new year I followed the Japanese tradition of ringing in the new year with some sweet potato mochi. Easy to pull off. Enjoy!!
Special tools:
Steamer, Saran Plastic wrap.
Ingredients
- 200 gm short grain rice flour (mochi flour)
- 20 gm sugar
- 1 sweet potato peeled, steamed and mashed
Make a soft dough with all the ingredients. Make about 16 small lemon sized balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap. Flatten. Arrange in two single layers in a steaming basket. Steam for 30 minutes. Cool. Peel off the wrap to consume.
Notes, hints, tips:
- You can microwave the sweet potato in its skin till soft. Cool and then peel. Mash.
- There is no need to knead for long since this is rice flour (with no gluten!).
- You could use banana leaf or corn husk to wrap. But I found the plastic wrap to be very accessible, convenient and easy to handle. Also I did check on the wrap package that it was heat proof.
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