Japanese sweet rice ball Ohagi (Botamochi)

Ohagi, or botamochi, are sweet rice balls which is made from glutious rice and sweet azuki paste (anko). Typically we eat this sweets during higan periods in spring and autumn. It called ohagi in autumn, the name come from hagi flower. And in spring we call it botamochi, the name come from botan flower. That why it has 2 different names.

You can use any type of azuki bean paste for this ohagi. The most easy way is to buy ready-made canned anko. You can also cook azuki beans your self (the recipe for red bean paste).

Japanese sweet rice ball Ohagi (Botamochi) recipe (makes about 15 - 20)

Ingredients:
for rice ball
2 dl glutious rice (mochigome)
1 dl rice (short grain japanese rice)
3 dl water
1/2 teaspoon salt

for topping
400 g Red bean paste
30g walnuts
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 dl black sesame seeds
1/2 tablespoon sugar

1.	Preparation for rice: Wash the rice gently stirring with hands and dispose of the cold water. Repeat this step at least 3 - 4 times until the water is clean. Soak the rice in a 3dl water and set aside for 3 hours to 1 night in refrigerator.
2.	Prepare red bean paste: If you make yourself, see the recipe for red bean paste. If you use ready made canned red bean paste, cook for 10 mins until thicken. Let it cool.
3.	Cook the rice: Cover the pan with a lid and bring to a boil with high heat. Turn the heat down very low and cook about 20 mins. until the water is almost gone.
4.	Remove the pan from the heat and let it steam with lid for 15 mins. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix. Then mash the rice roughly with spatula until sticky.
5.	Wet hands and shape the rice into 25 - 30 g oval balls.
6.	Wet hands and shape the red bean paste 30 - 35 g balls.
7.	Red bean paste ohagi: Wet hands. Place the rice ball onto the hand and push to make flat. put red bean paste on top of rice. Cover the rice ball with red bean paste.
9.	Black sesame ohagi: Mix black sesame with sugar. Place the rice ball onto the plastic wrap and push to make it flat. Put 1/2 of red bean paste (about 15g) on middle of rice, cover the red bean paste with rice. Sprinkle sesame around rice.
10.	Walnuts ohagi: Roast walnuts in 180c oven for 5 - 10 mins. Grind the walnuts in mortar or food processor and mix with sugar. Place the rice ball onto the plastic wrap and push to make it flat. Put 1/2 of red bean paste (15g) on middle of rice, cover the red bean paste with rice. Sprinkle walnuts mixture around rice.
11.	Keep it in room temperature and cover with plastic. Please eat in 2 days. Don’t put in refrigerator, rice will get hard.

Avainsanat: red bean, rice

Tämä artikkeli kirjoitettiin Januaryn 18. 2012 ja se on luokassa - Jälkiruoka, - Riisi ja nuudeli, Japanilainen ruoka. Voit seurata kommentteja RSS 2.0 syötteellä. Voit jättää kommentin tai viitata artikkeliin omilta sivuiltasi.