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Kirimochi: The Ultimate Guide

Kirimochi, a type of dried mochi, can be prepared using various methods. Here is the ultimate guide to simple, but delicious ways to use this ingredient.

Kirimochi Side by Side

There are countless ways to prepare kirimochi. Down below, I have listed five different cooking methods and seven possible flavors/toppings.

Cooking Methods: toasting, microwaving, grilling (also known as yaki mochi), boiling, or as a “moffle” (a mochi waffle)

Flavor Combos: soy sauce and sugar (for a sweet soy mochi), kinako (roasted soy bean powder), red bean, daikon and soy sauce, honey butter, natto (fermented soy beans), chocolate, and in soup

Don’t have kirimochi? Click here for an easy way to make it at home!

The article linked above also has some great background information on this mochi if you would like to learn more about this Japanese dish.

How to Prepare Kirimochi

Kirimochi is a hard mochi, so it must be heated up/ cooked before eating. After cooking, the mochi becomes very stretchy, chewy, and soft. If you decide to toast or grill the mochi, a good indicator that it has finished cooking is when the mochi puffs up, even more than the picture below! If you decide to boil or microwave the mochi, make sure it becomes nice and soft. Homemade kirimochi tends to puff up less uniformly than the commercially produced kind. However, they will taste just as great.

Kirimochi Balloon
Toasting the Mochi in a Pan

Look at the picture below to see how stretchy and chewy the mochi can get:

Here are some example preparations:

Soy Sauce Kirimochi

The most popular way to prepare kirimochi is toasting it with soy sauce, sugar, and nori (dried seaweed, not pictured). This method is a wonderful savory variation of mochi.

Red Bean Kirimochi

Another popular serving method is topping the mochi with red bean paste, or “Anko” in Japanese. This topping is great as a sweet variation.

Plain Kirimochi

Above is a plain toasted kirimochi waiting for some toppings. Feel free to experiment with any of the cooking methods and additions listed down below!

How to Prepare Kirimochi

Kirimochi, a type of dried mochi, can be prepared using various methods. Here is the ultimate guide to simple, but delicious ways to use this ingredient.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Dessert, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: kiri mochi recipe, yaki mochi recipe
Servings: 2 pieces
Calories: 90kcal

Ingredients

Isobeyaki

  • soy sauce
  • sugar or honey
  • nori sheet

Kinako (Roasted Soybean)

  • kinako powder
  • sugar

Red Bean (Anko)

  • red bean paste

Daikon and Soy Sauce

  • daikon grated
  • soy sauce

Honey Butter

  • butter
  • honey

Natto (Slimy Fermented Soybeans)

  • natto

Chocolate

  • chocolate

Instructions

Ways to Prepare Mochi

  • Toasted Mochi: Put the mochi in a toaster oven or non-stick pan for 5-10 minutes until puffed and nicely toasted.
  • Microwaved Mochi: Slightly dampen the surface of the kirimochi and microwave for a minute or two, until softened.
  • Grilled Mochi: Grill the mochi for about 10 minutes or until puffy and nicely toasted.
  • Boiled Mochi: Place the mochi in a pot filled with cold water. Bring the pot to a light simmer and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the mochi is nicely softened. (Good for soups like ozoni or udon)
  • Moffle (Mochi Waffles): Place mochi blocks into a heated waffle iron for 6 minutes, or until crispy.

Flavor the Mochi

  • Isobeyaki: Toast or grill the mochi with soy sauce and sugar (optional). Wrap with a nori sheet or add nori flakes on top.
  • Kinako: Prepare mochi as desired and toss in kinako powder and sugar to taste
  • Red Bean: Prepare mochi as desired and top with red bean paste
  • Daikon and Soy Sauce: Prepare Mochi as Desired and top with grated daikon and a drizzle of soy sauce
  • Honey Butter: Toast or grill the mochi with butter. Top with a drizzle of honey.
  • Natto: Prepare mochi as desired and top with natto.
  • Chocolate: Prepare mochi as desired and top with chocolate.
  • Soup (ex: Ozoni, Udon): Boil, grill, or toast the mochi separately and add it to the soup at the very end.

Notes

Feel free to try even more flavors: matcha, black sesame, etc. There are endless possibilites!
Nutrition: Calories are calculated for 2 pieces of plain mochi only. 
 

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2 Comments

    1. I would say these are more of an appetizer! However, the plain kirimochi blocks can also be used as an “ingredient” in entrees like soups (e.g. ozoni)