Obsessed with Microwave mochi

Hello, lover

Mochi has been a favorite treat since childhood.  But I had never even considered as make-able at home, as I assumed you needed an (expensive) mochi machine, not really available in the US, to make the dough.  However, whist wandering around on the interwebs as per usual, I discovered that people have been making mochi with, wait for it, their MICROWAVES.  I had to try it.

It's amazing.  Really.  Now I am obsessed.  Above you see my matcha green tea mochi filled with adzuki red bean paste. 

Here's my version of the recipe/protocol, with slightly different proportions and more tacit knowledge made explicit from this blogger's original:

1 Cup of Mochiko sweet rice flour
2 tsp Matcha powder
2 TBSP sugar
3/4 Cup of water
1 Can of adzuki bean paste
Cornstarch for dusting

Before starting anything, put the adzuki bean paste into a tupperware container and refrigerate.  When ready to make mochi, put some cornstarch onto a plate, which you will use to prep the mochi.  Have two spoons and a measuring cup with a flat bottom handy.  Put Mochiko, Matcha, sugar, and water into a microwaveable bowl and mix to form a paste.  Microwave the paste for 2 minutes, take out, stir a little, and then microwave for 2 minutes more.  Remove the hot bowl from the microwave, and let the mochi dough sit until you can touch it (it is wicked hot, but I am impatient and have a high tolerance for touching hot things so I start right away).  Dust your fingers with cornstarch to deal with the mochi dough.  Use a spoon (dipped in cornstarch) to take a heaping spoon of the dough, plop it on the cornstarch covered plate, dip the bottom of the measuring cup with mochi flour, and pound the dough into a flat circle.  Spoon the bean paste into the circle and then pinch it closed, shaping it into an oval.  Brush all sides with a light dusting of the cornstarch.  Repeat until you have used up all the dough.  You will have lots of paste left so feel free to make more dough.  Each cup of Mochiko makes about 6-8 mochis.  Happy cooking, but please do not hold me responsible if you burn your fingers with hot sticky sweet rice flour paste.