I am not sure why it never occurred to me until today, but it is possible to make daifuku mochi in my own kitchen. No pounding of hot rice in a stone mortar, no smushed fingers under the wooden mallet, no rhythmic chant to keep time to. Nope, it turns out all I needed was some mochiko (sweet rice flour), sugar, water, and azuki beans. And a stove. It is a little time consuming but only because you have to soak the beans overnight. The actual mochi making (and eating) took less than 20 minutes. And considering how much the kids love these soft bean cakes, it is really surprising that I had not tried it before.
And with 苺大福餅 (strawberry stuffed mochi) season on the rise, I think I will have to practice this recipe a few more times in the coming weeks. And of course, there is also 白玉善哉 (white ball mochi in red bean soup) which will be a good thing to have when the winter chill does settle in. A very good thing indeed.
