Make fresh homemade mochi using a stand mixer! Stuff the mochi with your favorite filling,
dip in a savory or sweet coating, or enjoy in Japanese New Year Soup and red bean soup.

How to Make Mochi with a Stand Mixer (Homemade Mochi)

INGREDIENTS

• 450 g glutinous rice (sweet rice, mochigome) (3 rice cooker cups or 540 ml)
• 400 ml water (It should be 3 cup line for Sweet Rice in rice cooker bowl)
• potato starch/cornstarch (for dusting)

Anko Mochi

• red bean paste (anko) (See Notes for homemade recipe)

Kinako Mochi

• 2 Tbsp Kinako (soybean flour) This makes 2 mochi balls. If you're making more, follow the ratio of 2 parts kinako: 1 part sugar)
• 1 Tbsp Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

To Measure and Rinse Glutinous Rice

1. Measure the glutinous rice. 1 RICE MEASURING CUP (180 ml) of glutinous rice is 150 grams. You will need 3 rice cooker cups (540 ml), which is 450 grams.
2. To rinse the glutinous rice, put the rice in a large bowl and add some water. Stir with your hands and quickly drain the water.
3. Then gently stir the rice with your fingertips. Glutinous rice is easily broken, so you don’t need to use your strength. Just stir a few times.
4. Add water in the bowl, and carefully rinse for 4-5 times. Drain the rice into a fine mesh sieve/colander.
5. Shake the sieve/colander to remove excess water. Then transfer the rice into the inner pot of rice cooker. 
6. Make the rice flat and add 400 ml/gram of clean water. The water should be at 3-cup line for SWEET RICE. Evenly distribute the rice with chopsticks or fingers.

To Cook Glutinous Rice

1. Close the lid of the rice cooker. Select “REGULAR” on the menu and start cooking. REGULAR cooking is usually 5-10 minutes longer than “SWEET” setting. As soon as the rice is cooked, we can take it out immediately.
2. When the rice is almost done, prepare about 4-5 cups boiling water. Once the hot water is ready, pour 1/3 boiled water into your stand mixer bowl to keep warm, 1/3 into a mixing bowl that can soak a dough hook and a flat beater, and the rest into a 2-cup measuring cup that can soak a silicone spatula. Make sure the water is enough to cover the tools. 
3. Discard the hot water in the stand mixer. Transfer all the cooked glutinous rice into the stand mixer.

To “Knead” with Dough Hook Attachment

1. Set the dough hook attachment in your stand mixer. Start kneading the glutinous rice with Number 2 Speed. Set timer for 3 minutes. (Repeat the process 4 times.)
2. The dough hook will start pulling in the rice.
3. [Optional] While kneading, you can use your wet silicone spatula to detach the glutinous rice from the wall of the stand mixer.
4. 3-minute timer beeps [03:00]. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, keeping the dough hook attached. Using the wet silicone spatula, flip the glutinous rice. Dip the spatula in water a few times so it doesn’t get sticky.
5. Put the bowl back to the stand mixer and start kneading again with Number 2 Speed. Reset timer for 3 minutes.
6. 3-minute timer beeps [06:00]. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and flip the glutinous rice again, using the wet silicone spatula. Now the rice grains are less visible and start to look like mochi.
7. Put the bowl back to the stand mixer and start kneading again with Number 2 Speed. Reset timer for 3 minutes.
8. 3-minute timer beeps [09:00]. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and flip the glutinous rice again, using the wet silicone spatula. Now it’s getting stickier and elastic.
9. Put the bowl back to the stand mixer and start kneading again with Number 2 Speed. Reset timer for 3 minutes.
10. 3-minute timer beeps [12:00]. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and flip the glutinous rice again, using the wet silicone spatula. Now the kneading is completed. 

To "Pound" with Flat Beater Attachment

1. Remove the dough hook attachment from the stand mixer and change to a flat beater attachment. 
   
2. Beat the mochi with Number 3 Speed. Set timer for 30 seconds. (Repeat the pounding process 4 times.)
3. 30-second timer beeps [00:30]. This time you do not need to remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Scrape mochi as much as you can from the side of the bowl, using the wet silicone spatula.
4. Reset timer for 30 seconds. Start beating again with Number 3 Speed. 30-second timer beeps [01:00]. Scrape mochi again from the side of the bowl, using the wet silicone spatula.
5. Reset timer for 30 seconds. Start beating again with Number 3 Speed. 30-second timer beeps [01:30]. Scrape mochi again from the side of the bowl, using the wet silicone spatula.
6. Reset timer for 30 seconds. Start beating again with Number 3 Speed. 30-second timer beeps [02:00]. Scrape mochi again from the side of the bowl, using the wet silicone spatula. Now the pounding is done. 

To Shape into Mochi Balls

1. Prepare two rimmed baking sheets by covering them with potato starch. Put all the mochi on one of the baking sheets. The other one is for keeping mochi balls.
2. Sprinkle some potato starch on top of the mochi. Make sure your hands are completely dry and cover them with potato starch. Keep extra starch handy so you can always dust your hands when needed.
3. Spread the potato starch on top of the mochi, making sure there is no sticky part left. Pick up a corner of the mochi and start tucking in the edges underneath. 
4. When it becomes a mound of a thick layer, make a “C” with your left pointing finger and thumb over the edge of mochi. 
5. Using your right hand to tuck in and push up the mochi underneath to create a ball shape above “C” fingers.
6. Using the “C” fingers, pinch underneath the ball to cut off the mochi. Use the right hand to assist by twisting. Do not pull the mochi as it creates stick surface. 
7. This is a bad example. You don’t want to pull the mochi. The sticky mochi surface appears and now your hands get sticky when you touch it. REMEMBER: Pinch & Twist. Pinch & Twist. 

   
8. Once you make the mochi balls, transfer to the other rimmed baking sheet. When you're ready to use, dust off the starch with a pastry brush or with your dry hands.  Enjoy your mochi in Japanese New Year Soup (Ozoni) and Red Bean Soup, or make Anko Mochi or Kinako Mochi  (see below)

To Store

1. If you do not use the mochi immediately, cover each one individually with plastic wrap and put in the freezer bag.

[Optional] To Make Anko Mochi

1. Flatten the mochi ball by pressing down.
2. Brush off excess starch by hands or a pastry brush. This is an important step so don’t skip.
3. Put the anko (sweet red bean paste) in the center of each mochi. Pull two sides of the mochi.
4. Pull up the sides and pinch over the anko. Repeat for the other sides and pinch on the top.
5. Lightly dust your hands with potato starch (do not overcoat). Use a light pressure to pinch and seal the top of mochi. 

[Optional] To Make Kinako Mochi

1. In a bowl, combine kinako (soybean flour) and sugar (Ratio: 2 parts kinako, 1 part sugar) and mix well.
2. Pour hot water in a separate bowl. Dip a mochi ball in the hot water.
3. Coat well with the kinako mixture and repeat with the rest. They can be served immediately.

RECIPE NOTES

Please Note: This recipe was created using KitchenAid® stand mixer (professional series). Please do not use a hand mixer to make this recipe as it's not strong enough to handle mochi. I cannot guarantee other equipment will work as I had never tested it.  

https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-mochi-with-a-stand-mixer/