Warabi Mochi with Kinako and Kuromitsu
A wobbly, jelly-like Japanese summer sweet. Starch, sugar and water are cooked into a clear gel, cut into cubes and rolled in kinako (roasted soybean flour), then served with kuromitsu (black sugar syrup). It's vegan and gluten-free.
- Yield: ~80 cubes (2 cm)
- Equipment: heavy pan, hob, sturdy spatula, tray
- Allergens: soy (kinako) · Vegan, gluten-free
Ingredients
Warabi mochi
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Warabi mochi powder (warabiko, or a sweet potato/tapioca starch "warabi mochi" mix) | 300 g |
| Sugar | 150 g |
| Water | 1500 g |
| Kinako, for coating | ~150 g |
Kuromitsu (black sugar syrup)
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Kokuto (Okinawan black sugar) or dark muscovado | 250 g |
| Water | 150 g |
Method
- Kuromitsu: simmer the sugar and water for 5 min until syrupy. Cool. It keeps for weeks in the fridge.
- Whisk the starch, sugar and cold water together in a heavy pan until there are no lumps.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a sturdy spatula. After a few minutes it suddenly turns lumpy, then thick, sticky and translucent. Keep stirring and cooking for another 2–3 minutes once it's fully clear.
- Spread it in a tray dusted with kinako (or lined with wet baking paper). Dust the top with kinako.
- Cool at room temperature for about 1 hour. Don't refrigerate: it goes cloudy and hard.
- Cut into 2 cm cubes with a wet knife or scraper and toss in kinako.
Serving
Serve in small bowls or cups with a drizzle of kuromitsu. Make it the same day. It's best within 6 hours. Set how long it may stand at room temperature on the buffet in your egenkontroll plan.
Variations
- Matcha warabi mochi: coat in a mix of matcha and icing sugar (1:3) instead of kinako.
- Kinako soft-serve topping: extra kinako and kuromitsu double as soft-serve toppings.