Ohagi おはぎ

Ingredients

• 1 cup Mochigome sweet rice (*1 )
• 1 cup Water
• 1 cup Anko sweet azuki bean paste (*2)
• 2 tbsp Kinako soybean powder
• 1½ tbsp Sugar (*3)
• pinch Salt
• 2 tbsp Roasted black sesame seeds (*4)
• 1½ tbsp Sugar (*3)
• pinch Salt

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the glutinous rice in water(not listed in the ingredients list) for one hour. This will help soften the rice and make it easier to cook in a rice cooker.

2. 2

   Drain the water from the rice and transfer it to a rice cooker with 200ml water. Follow your rice cooker directions, but in general press "start" to cook.

3. 3

   While waiting for the rice to cook, prepare your sweetened bean paste filling (if you haven't already made it in advance). You can use store-bought red bean paste (anko) or make your own by following my recipe.

4. 4

   Divide the anko into 4 little balls of equal amount and set aside.

5. 5

   Once the rice has cooked, let the rice cool down slightly so that you can handle it without burning yourself.

6. 6

   Scoop 50g of rice onto a small bowl lined with plastic wrap. Shape it into a barrel shape. 50g will be for Kinako and Black sesame ohagi but use 30g for anko wrapped ohagi to make it similar in size. It should make 6 x 50g rice balls and 4 x 30g rice balls.

7. 7

   Flatten out one anko that you made in step 3 on to plastic wrap in your palm, then place a rice ball on top of the anko.

8. 8

   Wrap the rice ball with the anko carefully, making sure that all side are covered completely.

9. 9

   For Kinako (roasted soybean flour), mix soybean powder with sugar and pinch of salt. Spread it onto a flat tray. Roll rice balls on the kinako powder.

10. 10

    For Black Sesame seeds, roast the black sesame seed in a frying pan till it produces an aroma. Grind the roasted black sesame seeds in a mortar. Combine with sugar and salt and spread it on to a flat tray. Roll rice balls on the ground black sesame seeds.