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Ohagi
Sweet red bean rice balls
Ohagi (おはぎ): half-pounded rice balls in sweet bean paste, kinako and sesame
Ohagi are made twice a year, at the spring and autumn equinoxes (higan), when Japanese families visit ancestors' graves and leave these rice balls as offerings; in spring they are called botamochi. Sticky rice is cooked and only half-pounded, so you can still see the grains, then shaped into ovals and coated in chunky red bean paste, roasted soybean flour (kinako) or black sesame. Mochi is very sticky: cut it into small pieces for young children and older people, and make sure they chew well and eat sitting down. The common mistake is pounding the rice smooth like mochi; ohagi should keep a rustic, grainy texture. Chef's tip: wet your hands and squeeze out cling film between shaping, so the rice never sticks.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the rice
- 5 ½ oz glutinous (sweet) rice
- 1 ¾ oz Japanese short-grain rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 pinch salt
For the coatings
- 2 tbsp sugarfor the coatings
- 2 tbsp ground black sesame
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 5 ½ oz glutinous (sweet) rice and 1 ¾ oz Japanese short-grain rice together until the water runs clear, then soak in 1 cup water for 1 hour.
Step 2: Add 1 pinch salt and cook as for normal rice: bring to the boil, cover and simmer on low for 12 minutes, then rest off the heat for 10 minutes.
25 minStep 3: While hot, pound the rice in the pan with a wet rolling pin or pestle for 2–3 minutes until about half the grains are crushed and it holds together.
Step 4: With wet hands, shape into 12 ovals.
Step 5: For bean ohagi: flatten 40 g of 10 ½ oz chunky sweet red bean paste (tsubuan) on damp cling film, place a rice oval on top and wrap the paste around it. Make 6.
Step 6: For the others: mix 3 tbsp kinako (roasted soybean flour) and 2 tbsp ground black sesame each with half of 2 tbsp sugar. Put a teaspoon of the remaining bean paste inside each of the last 6 rice ovals, then roll 3 in kinako and 3 in sesame.
Step 7: Serve at room temperature the same day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ohagi take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of japanese short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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