How to Cook Japanese Mochi

Japanese mochi is crunchy on the outside, hot and gooey on the inside when cooked properly. A pounded rice cake, you can eat it alone or in a soup such as ozoni, the traditional New's Year staple in Japan.

Things You'll Need

• Japanese stove-top grill
• Mochi (preferably fresh, but if not available, either frozen or dry will work)
• Optional: Nori
• Optional: Soy Sauce

Instructions

1. Place mochi on a Japanese-style stove-top grill (you can find them online or at Asian markets) on medium high. If you have a ceramic or glass-top stove, read the manufacturing instructions to see if the grill is safe for use on these stove types before proceeding. If not, you will have to move to step four.

2. Turn the mochi over after a minute or two. Keep turning every minute or two until the mochi is crisp on both sides and has popped open, revealing a gooey bubble. Mochi burns easily, so always stay nearby when cooking it.

3. Remove from grill and serve with soy sauce for dipping, or wrap with a bit of nori (the seaweed wrap used in sushi).

4. Microwave if you do not have a grill or are in a hurry. Pop a mochi on a plate in the microwave for one minute. This is not the tastiest way to serve mochi, and you will need to watch it carefully, as it will expand into a large bubble. If you don't eat it immediately, the mochi will flatten into a rubbery flat puddle.

5. Toast in a toaster oven as another option if you do not have a grill. Place a piece of foil on the tray, spray with a little nonstick cooking oil (mochi is extremely sticky), then put on high heat for about 10 minutes or until the top cracks and a gooey bubble from the inside appears.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you've cooked mochi add it like a dumpling to a hot Japanese-style soup.

• Do NOT buy mochi ice cream, which is a dessert.

• Mochi is very gooey, so eat it carefully so as to avoid choking.