Strawberry Daifuku

A silky, elastic rice dough envelope hiding a dense red bean paste heart and a juicy whole strawberry. The texture is soft and powdery, with a sharp balance between sweetness and fruit acidity.

• Prep time: 40 min
• Cook time: 15 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 184
• Protein: 2 g
• Carbs: 40 g
• Fat: 1 g

Ingredients

• 4 piece Strawberry ( whole, washed and dried )
• 33.3 g White sugar
• 100 ml Mineral water
• 66.7 g Corn starch ( for dusting )
• 0.7 pinch Fleur de sel optional
• 66.7 g Glutinous rice flour ( Mochiko )
• 100 g Red bean paste (Anko) ( Anko )

Instructions

1. Fruit preparation

   Wash and hull the strawberries. Dry them thoroughly with a clean cloth. Any moisture will prevent the filling from sticking.

2. Anko coating

   Divide the red bean paste into 6 balls. Flatten each ball and wrap the strawberries, leaving the tip of the fruit slightly visible. Keep cool.

3. Cooking the mochi dough

   Mix glutinous rice flour, sugar, and mineral water in a bowl. Cover and steam or microwave in 1-minute increments. Mix vigorously between sessions until the dough becomes translucent, sticky, and very elastic.

4. Final shaping

   Generously dust the work surface with cornstarch. Divide the hot dough into 6 portions. Flatten each into a disk, place a strawberry in the center, and close by pinching the edges to seal. Brush off excess starch.

Chef's tips

• The dough is ready when it turns from matte white to slightly translucent.
• Work the dough while it's hot; it's much more malleable.
• Don't skimp on cornstarch, otherwise the dough will stick irreparably to your fingers.

Storage

Consume the same day. Do not refrigerate; the rice will harden and lose all its flexibility.