Japanese cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Ohagi

Hand-shaped sticky rice dumplings, coated in equal parts kinako, black sesame and sweet azuki paste.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 200 g glutinous rice
• 50 g short-grain rice
• 300 ml water
• 200 g red bean paste (anko)
• 40 g kinako (roasted soybean flour)
• 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Mix the glutinous rice and short-grain rice, rinse in cold water until clear, and soak for at least 4 hrs., ideally overnight, in fresh water.
2. Put the drained rice on to cook with 300 ml water, cover and cook over low heat for 12 min., then let steam for another 10 min. without lifting the lid.
3. Pound the hot rice with a moistened pestle for about 2 min. until roughly half the grains are crushed and the mixture sticks together but still shows texture.
4. While still warm, shape the mixture with wet hands into twelve oblong dumplings of about 5 cm and let cool on a board.
5. Toast the black sesame seeds dry for 2 min., grind in a mortar and mix with 1 tbsp sugar; mix the kinako with 2 tbsp sugar and the salt.
6. Roll four dumplings in the kinako mixture, four in the sesame sugar, and coat the remaining four all around with bean paste; serve the same day.