Sakura Mochi - A Recipe Passed from Mother to Daughter

Ingredients

• 700 grams Uncooked mochi rice
• 4 tbsp Sugar
• 200 grams Sweet red bean paste
• 1 dash Food colouring (red)
• 15 leaves Salt preserved cherry leaves

Instructions

1. Rinse the sweet rice.
2. Drain in a sieve.
3. Dissolve red food colouring in 350 ml of water.
4. Soak the rice in the water for 30 minutes.
5. Cook the rice in the rice cooker.
6. Make balls from the bean paste.
7. Immerse the cherry blossom leaves briefly in water (to remove the salt).
8. Pat dry.
9. When the rice cooker has finished cooking, let it rest for 10 minutes to steam the rice.
10. Add sugar, and mix while grinding the rice slightly.
11. When the rice has cooled a bit, wrap in the bean paste, then fold a cherry blossom leaf over the rice cake.
12. (It will be easier if you flatten the rice between plastic wrap.)