Daifuku (大福, sweet mochi with azuki paste)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Fine-mesh sieve and clean cotton cloth for koshi-an
• •Steamer basket or mushiki
• •Heatproof bowl
• •Wooden paddle or sturdy spatula
• •Kitchen scale
• •Bench scraper

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the azuki

   Rinse the azuki, put them in a pot, and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil, simmer five minutes, then drain and rinse the beans. This first boil is shibukiri, removing the harsh edge from the skins so the finished anko tastes clean rather than muddy.

   Azuki do not need an overnight soak. They need a brief first boil and fresh water, which is a different piece of wisdom.
2. 2

   Simmer until tender

   Return the beans to the pot and cover with fresh water by about 5cm. Simmer gently, adding water as needed to keep the beans covered, until one bean crushes easily between your fingers, 60 to 75 minutes. Get them fully tender before sugar appears; sugar firms the skins and a half-cooked bean will stay stubborn no matter how politely you ask.

3. 3

   Strain the beans

   Drain the tender beans, return them to the pot with 2 cups fresh water, and crush them until the water turns deep red-brown. Rub this through a fine sieve into a bowl, working so the bean flesh passes through and the skins stay behind. Add another cup of water to the skins and rub once more. Smooth koshi-an is made from the bean flesh, not the skins; forcing the skins through gives a rough paste no sugar can repair.

4. 4

   Settle the paste

   Let the strained liquid stand for 15 minutes. The fine bean starch will sink and the grayish water will rise. Pour off the water slowly, add fresh water, stir, let it settle again, and pour off once more. Scrape the settled paste into a cloth-lined strainer and let it drain until thick. This washing keeps the flavor clear while leaving the body of the bean behind.

5. 5

   Cook the anko

   Put the drained bean paste in a pan with the 180g sugar and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring with a wooden paddle, until glossy and thick enough that a line dragged through the paste holds for a moment, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely, then weigh out 420g for the daifuku and save any extra. Warm, loose anko makes wrapping miserable; cold, firm anko behaves.

6. 6

   Portion the filling

   Divide the chilled koshi-an into 12 balls, about 35g each. Keep them covered in the refrigerator while you make the mochi. A firm center gives the warm skin something to fold around, which is why this small pause matters.

7. 7

   Mix the mochi

   Put the shiratamako and 70g sugar in a heatproof bowl. Add the water gradually, rubbing the flour granules between your fingers until the mixture is smooth and milky. Shiratamako begins as small dried granules, and if they are not hydrated now, they show up later as hard specks in an otherwise tender skin.

8. 8

   Steam the dough

   Set the bowl in a steamer basket or mushiki over active simmering water. Wrap the lid in a clean cloth so drops do not fall onto the dough, cover, and cook 15 to 18 minutes, stirring once halfway through. The dough is ready when it turns translucent, glossy, and elastic. Stirring moves the cooked edges into the center so the whole mass sets evenly.

9. 9

   Dust and divide

   Dust a tray generously with katakuriko and scrape the hot mochi onto it. Dust the top lightly, fold it over itself with a starch-dusted scraper, and divide into 12 pieces. Use starch to control the surface, not to season the dough. Too much folded inside makes the skin dry and leathery.

10. 10

    Wrap the daifuku

    Flatten one warm piece of mochi into a round, about 9cm across, keeping the center a little thicker than the edges. Brush excess starch from the inner surface, set one anko ball in the middle, and stretch the edges up around it. Pinch the seam closed firmly and set it seam-side down. Thin edges gather neatly, a thicker center protects the filling, and a starch-free seam is what actually seals.

11. 11

    Rest and serve

    Brush off excess starch and let the daifuku rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Eat them the day they are made, while the skin is still soft and the anko is cool and settled. Refrigeration hardens mochi, so use it only if the room is hot, and bring the sweets back to room temperature before serving.

Chef Tips

• •Buy shiratamako from a Japanese market if you can. Mochiko will make a mochi skin, but shiratamako gives the finer, more elastic texture we want here. A sensible stand-in is not the same thing, and there's no shame in saying so plainly.
• •Good prepared koshi-an is acceptable for a first batch. Choose one made from azuki, sugar, and a little salt, with a clean bean flavor. The filling is half the sweet, so don't hide poor paste under perfect wrapping.
• •Cold filling, warm skin. Say it once before you begin and again when the mochi comes out of the steamer. That is the small piece of order that keeps sticky work from becoming theater.
• •Use katakuriko like a dusting cloth, not like bread flour. It belongs on the outside to keep your hands clean and the mochi separate; inside the seam, it prevents the skin from closing.
• •Mochi asks to be chewed. Serve daifuku in small pieces for children or older guests, and do not rush the eating. Even a lucky sweet deserves respect.

Advance Preparation

• •The koshi-an can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated, tightly covered. Portion it while cold, then keep the balls chilled until wrapping.
• •Finished koshi-an freezes well for 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then stir it smooth before portioning.
• •Shape daifuku the day you plan to serve them. Keep them loosely covered at cool room temperature for 6 to 8 hours. Refrigerate only in a hot room, knowing the mochi will firm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 85g)