Strawberry and Sweet Red Bean Mochi (Ichigo Daifuku)

Ichigo daifuku is a soft, chewy mochi stuffed with fresh, juicy strawberry and sweet red bean paste.

You will love this Japanese dessert if you love juicy strawberries, sweet red bean paste, and chewy mochi. Daifuku is a popular traditional Japanese sweet; it is soft mochi stuffed with sweet red bean paste, and this Strawberry Daifuku is a relatively new wagashi, like a traditional Japanese confectionery with a modern twist since it was created during the ’80s.

Most Ichigo Daifuku recipes use the microwave, which is easier, but this recipe doesn’t use the microwave because I am not a fan of it. I have also seen on Instagram that people buy daifuku and then squeeze the strawberry inside it. I must admit that making Daifuku isn’t easy and takes time.. but the process can be fun and meditative! Enjoy 

Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 fresh strawberries, washed and stemless
• Mochi – sticky dough
• 100g Glutinous rice flour
• 2 TBSP agave
• 150ml Water
• Azuki paste
• One tin Azuki
• 2.5 TBSP agave syrup
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. To make azuki paste, place tinned azuki, agave and salt in a food processor and process well.
2. Wet your hands and make eight small balls with the red bean paste.
3. Once you’ve made small balls of red beans, flatten each of them out and separately mould them around a strawberry.
4. To make the sticky dough, mix the ingredients into a saucepan or non-stick frying pan.
5. Heat over medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir continuously.
6. Once the mixture is getting sticky, turn down the heat to low and keep stirring until the dough gets firm and looks translucent.
7. Dust a chopping board or tray (where you are going to work) and hand it with glutinous rice flour (corn starch is also ok).
8. Remove the hot mochi from the pot to the dusted chopping board.
9. Gather your dough into a ball and divide it into eight equal pieces with a small knife or kitchen scraper.
10. Flatten them out and use each of them to cover the bean paste-covered strawberry from the top. (tip facing down)
11. When the dough reaches the bottom, twist and close, hold the mochi with both hands and form into a nice round shape. Repeat the process for the remaining mochi.
12. Serve at room temperature.

Memo

• Small strawberries are better for making daifuku.
• Be careful around the kitchen because freshly made sticky dough can be very hot!
• If you let the sticky dough cool down, it’s easier to handle
• If you make it yourself, you can cook the azuki beans with non-refined sugar, which makes a healthier and more nourishing version

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