Warabi Mochi

Ingredients 

• 3/4 cup warabi mochiko or warabiko (bracken starch) (you can substitute potato or tapioca starch, but the consistency will be different)
• 1/2 cup sugar (the ratio of warabi mochiko to sugar is usually equal, but you can reduce the sugar to ⅓ cup or 80 g if you use a generous amount of kuromitsu syrup)
• 1¾ cups water

For the Toppings

• 1/4 cup kinako (roasted soybean flour)
• kuromitsu (black sugar syrup)

Instructions 

1. Prepare all the ingredients. Sprinkle some of the ¼ cup kinako (roasted soybean flour) on a baking sheet.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine ¾ cup warabi mochiko or warabiko (bracken starch), ½ cup sugar, and 1¾ cups water. Mix all together.
3. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it starts to boil.
4. Then, reduce the heat. Using a wooden spatula, stir (more like beat) constantly and vigorously for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and evenly translucent. It’s quite a workout, but be patient! It’ll eventually transform into a clear color.
5. Remove the mochi from the heat and pour it onto the baking sheet covered with kinako (soybean flour). Sprinkle more kinako on top. Let it cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

To Serve

1. Once it’s cooled, take it out from the refrigerator. Transfer the mochi to a cutting board and slice it into ¾-inch (2-cm) cubes. Toss the Warabi Mochi with more kinako and serve on individual plates. If you‘d like, drizzle kuromitsu (black sugar syrup) on top. Enjoy!