Ohagi / Botamochi (Japanese Sweet Rice Cakes)
Ohagi (also known as Botamochi) is a traditional Japanese sweet that combines glutinous rice and anko (sweet red bean paste) in a delightful way. Deeply rooted in Japanese culture, it has a history of over a thousand years, making it perfect not only for those curious about anko-based sweets but also for anyone interested in exploring Japanese traditions.
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Servings: 1 batch (8 pieces of ohagi)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup glutinous rice (sweet rice) (1 rice cooker cup per batch)
- ¾ cup water
- 14.1 oz anko (sweet red bean paste) (You can prepare it from scratch by following the instructions in the linked article.)
For the kinako version:
- 2 Tbsp kinako (roasted soybean flour)
- ½ Tbsp sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place a sieve over a bowl, add glutinous rice, and rinse it with water. Repeat this process several times, changing the water each time.
- Soak the rinsed rice in water in a pot for at least 1 hour.
- Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 10 minutes (11 minutes for 2 batches, 12 minutes for 3 batches).
- Turn off the heat and let it steam for 10 minutes with the lid still on.
- Transfer the cooked glutinous rice to a large bowl and lightly pound it with a damp rolling pin until about half of the rice grains are broken but not fully mashed.
- Divide the rice into 8 portions per batch, and shape each portion into an oval or a round shape.Wearing disposable gloves can help keep your hands clean from this point onward.
- Divide anko into the same number of portions as the rice.
- Take one portion of the anko and spread it into a circle on your palm, larger than a rice portion. Then, place a portion of the rice in the center and wrap it with the anko. Repeat this process for as many ohagi as you plan to make. You can either completely wrap the rice with the anko or leave the bottom exposed.
- (When making the kinako version) Combine kinako with sugar and salt in a bowl. Place the prepared ohagi in the bowl and coat them with the kinako mixture.
Notes
- The recipe calls for cooking glutinous rice in a pot, but if you have a rice cooker, feel free to use it and cook the rice as you normally would (or use the sweet rice setting, if your rice cooker has one).
- It is best to consume it as soon as possible (at least on the same day) since cooked glutinous rice tends to harden. Refrigeration is not recommended, but if necessary, you can freeze it for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece Calories: 216.13kcal Carbohydrates: 47.62g Protein: 4.34g Fat: 0.56g Saturated Fat: 0.08g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.29g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.14g Sodium: 2.46mg Potassium: 49.45mg Fiber: 2.3g Sugar: 24.71g Vitamin C: 0.02mg Calcium: 15.76mg Iron: 11.38mg
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