Japanese Ohagi and Botamochi Rice Dumpling Confections and Buddhist Memorial Sweets

Ingredients

• For the rice base
• 280 g mochigome (glutinous rice), washed and soaked 30 minutes
• 80 g regular japonica rice, washed
• For the koshian coating
• 300 g koshian (smooth adzuki red bean paste), firm but pliable — consistency of marzipan; not wet, not cracked
• For the kinako coating
• 50 g kinako (roasted soybean flour), sieved
• 50 g fine caster sugar
• For the goma coating
• 80 g roasted black sesame seeds, ground to a thick, slightly crumbly paste with the sugar below
• 40 g fine caster sugar
• 1 pinch fine salt

Method

1. 1
   Cook the mochigome and japonica rice together by the absorption method, using slightly less water than standard to produce a firm, fully cooked result. The rice is ready when the grains are tender through to the centre and no raw starchy core remains — taste a grain to confirm.
2. 2
   While the rice is still hot, transfer it to a wide bowl or wooden tub. Pound lightly with a wet pestle or squeeze firmly and repeatedly with a wet hand until approximately 70% of the grains are broken and the mass coheres without falling apart. Stop as soon as the rice holds a shape: the remaining intact grains must still be felt against the palm. This is the hangoroshi — 'half-killed' — stage. Over-working produces smooth mochi; stopping too soon yields a mass that will not hold its shape. This step decides the dish.
3. 3
   With wet hands, divide the rice into portions of approximately 40–50 g each. Press each portion firmly into a compact oval. The surface should be dense and without cracks; a cracked surface will not hold the coating evenly.
4. 4
   For the koshian variety: take a portion of smooth red bean paste and flatten it in a damp palm to a disc 3–4 mm thick. Lay the shaped rice oval at the centre and fold the paste up and around it, pressing gently to seal without trapping air. The covering should be complete and unbroken; no rice should show through.
5. 5
   For the kinako variety: sieve the kinako and an equal weight of fine sugar together onto a tray. Roll the shaped rice oval immediately after forming, pressing gently so the mixture adheres in a thick, even coating on all surfaces. The coating is sufficient when no rice is visible and the surface feels dry to the fingertip.
6. 6
   For the goma variety: grind the roasted black sesame seeds with their sugar to a thick, slightly crumbly paste. Press and roll each shaped rice oval in the paste, coating all surfaces. The finished piece should appear uniformly black with no pale patches of rice showing.
7. 7
   Arrange the three varieties on a single plate — koshian, kinako, and goma — and serve at room temperature within four to six hours of preparation. Cold rice hardens and loses the hangoroshi character; do not refrigerate before service.