Easy Black Sesame Mochi (Loh Mai Chi)

When I was a kid, mom used to get these mochi fresh from the wet market for me every morning. They remain my favorite and I had always been looking to buy them from the bakery here. Unfortunately, they are either not fresh or too sweet for my sweet tooth. I accidentally stumbled upon this idea when I did not know what to do with my left over 'ping pei' moon cake skin.

Ingredients for mochi:-

250 g skim milk

70 g glutinous rice flour

50 g rice flour

20 g all-purpose flour

10 g canola oil

40 g condensed milk

50 g granulated sugar

½ cup cooked glutinous rice flour (guo fun)

1 teaspoon canola oil for greasing the plate

Method:-

1. Sieve glutinous rice flour, rice flour and all-purpose flour into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and whisk to combine.

2. Add milk in two portions and whisk to combine. Then add condensed milk and whisk to combine. Lastly, add canola oil to mixture and whisk to combine to make a thick batter.

3. Lightly brush a 2” deep by 8” wide, heat proof plate all over with canola oil or use any deep heat proof plate that will fit your steamer. Strain the batter through a sieve into the prepared deep plate to remove lumps.

4. Place plate in a steamer and steam on high heat for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

5. Remove from heat and let cool until it is slightly warm.  Put on a pair of food safe gloves, scrape and loosen custard from plate, and knead custard until it becomes a smooth and shiny lump of dough. Form into a log and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.

6. Meanwhile prepare ‘guo fun’ by frying glutinous rice flour in a clean frying pan for 10-15 minutes until flour is slightly yellowish. Dish out into a bowl and let it cool before using.

Ingredients for the black sesame filling:-

1 cup coarsely ground black sesame

3 tablespoons pure peanut butter

3 tablespoon granulated sugar

Method:-

Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl.

How to form mochi:-

1. Put on a pair of food safe gloves before handling the dough. Divide and weigh the dough into 40g each. Form into a round ball. Set aside onto a plate lined with plastic food wrap until all the dough is divided and weighted completely.

2. Roll out each dough portion in between two sheets of plastic food wrap into 1/8 of an inch thick. Cupped your palm and place the flattened dough in your palm forming a shallow cup. 

3. Spoon approximately one and a half tablespoons of the black sesame filling into the center of the dough. Gather the edge of the dough with your other hand and pinch as you close the edge. If filling spills out as you gather the edge, gently press and push the filling into the center with the thumb of your hand that is holding the pastry. Close the opening and form into a round ball.

4. Dip the ball of mochi into the bowl of 'guo fun' to coat the mochi completely. Shake of extra 'guo fun' and place mochi on a plate to serve. Enjoy with your loved ones; be a listener and don't talk while you are eating mochi...danger of choking!!! They are so good, so let others do the talking :)))

*These mochi freeze well or you may refrigerate in a covered container for two days.