Modern Rubber Halwa

I first had this at Modern in Bombay, and it was soo soo soo good. So good.

If you like things that are chewy and sweet, you will love this! (This is very similar IMHO to Chi Chi Dango Hawaiian mochi, and less chewy than most types of other traditional mochi). I think it is also similar to Turkish Delight.

Recipe adapted from Yummy Tummy.

Preparation Time : 2 mins
Cooking Time : 15 to 20 mins
Makes : 12 pieces

Dish: 3 cup pyrex (the smallest size from this set)

Ingredients:

Sugar – 1 cup
Boiling water – 1 cup

Cornstarch – 1/2 cup
Cold water – 1/2 cup

Ghee – 3 tbsp
Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp
Pistachios, whole – 1/4 c (I use WOW)
Green Food Coloring – 2-3 drops
Khus extract – 1/4 tsp

Directions:

1. Take a medium to large sized heavy bottom NONSTICK pan and add in sugar and 1 cup of boiling water. Mix well and heat till the sugar is melted.
2. In a separate bowl, add 1/2 c cold water. Slowly, spoonful by spoonful (or better yet, with a flour sifter), add cornflour. Make sure there are NO LUMPS. [I used a Cuisinart hand blender to get rid of my lumps].  Add the green food color and mix well.
3. Add the cornflour mixture to the sugar water mixture. Mix well. [I used the Cuisinart hand blender to integrate the two mixtures].
4. Now put this mixture on high heat and keep whisking till it is thick, glossy and jelly like.
5. Add 1 tbsp ghee. Keep mixing.  (It’s a LOT of mixing).
6. Add 1 tbsp ghee. Keep mixing.  (Keep going, recruit others to help mix).
7. You can tell it is getting done when the green mixture stops sticking to the side. At that point, add pistachios and cardamom powder and mix well.
8. The halwa will look thick and glossy, shiny, almost laminated. Then it is done.
9. At this point pour this into the greased pyrex lined with greased parchment paper overhanging the pyrex pan (lay it down in a cross shape; you should be able to lift and remove the halwa from the pan when it is done easily) and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
10. Once it is set, invert it to a cutting board and cut it into slices.
11. Enjoy!

VARIATION:

1. Red rubber halwa: instead of khus, use rose extract; instead of pistachios, use chopped blanched almonds; instead of green food color, use red; instead of cardamom, use a pinch of saffron.
2. Yellow rubber halwa: instead of khus, use lemon extract; instead of pistachios, use halved cashews; instead of green food color, use yellow; instead of or in addition to cardamom, use a pinch of saffron.
3. Orange rubber halwa; instead of khus, use orange blossom extract; instead of pistachios, use halved cashews; instead of green food color, use a drop or red and a drop of yellow; instead of (or in addition to) cardamom, use a pinch of saffron.

NOTE: Remember when purchasing extracts to make sure they are for COOKING!!! They do sell extracts which are topical or medicinal or perfumes. DO NOT USE THOSE!!!!! I’ve seen little bottles of different flavored extracts at just about every Indian grocery store I’ve been to for a few dollars. I have not seen these extracts online. If you can’t find the fancy extracts, never fear, use lemon or orange extract, the recipe will still taste good. 🙂

Ono Butter Mochi

INGREDIENTS:

1 box mochiko (1 pound glutinous rice flour)
2 1/2 c white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c butter, melted
3 c whole milk
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c sweetened, flaked coconut (Baker’s Coconut)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Grease 9 x 13 pyrex.
3. In bowl 1, mix eggs, vanilla and milk.
4. In bowl 2, mix mochiko, sugar and baking powder.
5. Pour bowl 1 contents into bowl 2.
6. Stir in melted butter and coconut.
7. Pour into pyrex.
8. Bake 1 hout. Let cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.
9. Enjoy!

NOTE: Can replace the whole milk and flaked coconut with 1 can coconut milk and 1 can evaporated milk.

Chi Chi Dango Hawaiian Mochi

INGREDIENTS:

1 box mochiko flour (1 pound glutinous rice flour)
2 1/2 c white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 c water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
1/4 tsp red food coloring
1 1/2 tsp potato starch (or tapioca starch or corn starch)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Greast 9 x 13 pyrex.
3. Mix rice flour, sugar and baking powder in bowl 1.
4. Mix water, vanilla, coconut milk, and red food coloring in bowl 2.
5. Add bowl 1 contents to bowl 2.
6. Pour into pyrex pan.
7. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. (It will not look done. But it is.)
8. Let cool completely.
9. Turn the pan of mochi onto a clean surface that has been covered with the potato starch.
10. Cut the mochi into bite size pieces with a plastic knife (so it does not stick).
11. Roll around in the potato starch.
12. Box up and enjoy! (I place pieces in cupcake cups for individual consumption.
13. Enjoy!

 

NOTE: These do not freeze well. These also do not fridge well. They spoil easily because of the coconut milk. Recipe cannot be halved and cannot be doubled, it does not work well. This recipe should be made EXACTLY as it is written.

 

Boiled Mochi (Stuffed and Unstuffed)

Ingredients:

Mochi:

2 cups of mochiko

1 tbsp of sugar

3/4 cups of water (you will probably need more; I needed just over 1 cup of water)

Food coloring, if desired

(red bean paste, if making stuffed mochi)

Topping:

sugar
dessicated coconut
sesame seeds (black, toasted)
(cocoa, if you like that)
(toasted soy flour, if you like that)
(other things as you like)
Directions:

Set a small pot of water on the stove to boil.

Mix the mochiko, one tablespoon of sugar, and the water. It will form a stiff dough when it’s ready. (You may need to hand-knead it a little to get it thoroughly mixed.)

Roll mochi into balls about the size of a quarter (an inch or so in diameter), then drop them, a few at a time, into the boiling water.

Lift the mochi out again when they float to the top and drain them very lightly on paper towels.

Then sprinkle the mochi with sugar and immediately roll it in the coconut.

UPDATE: Can also stuff the mochi with red bean paste (I used commercially purchased red bean paste) and then boil them. They’re done when they float to the top. Yum yum yum! 🙂 These were better than the plain unstuffed mochi.

Mochi (Healthy)

Healthy mochi
From here.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of mochiko
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 3/4 cups of water
• Another tbsp or so of sugar
• 2.5 cups of sweetened, shredded coconut (and you may end up needing more!)
• Food coloring, if desired

Directions:Set a small pot of water on the stove to boil. Mix the mochiko, one tablespoon of sugar, and the water. It will form a stiff dough when it’s ready. (You may need to hand-knead it a little to get it thoroughly mixed.) roll it into balls about the size of a quarter, then drop them, a few at a time, into the boiling water. Lift them out again when they float to the top and drain them very lightly on paper towels. Then sprinkle it with sugar and immediately roll it in the coconut. Voila!

If you want to color the coconut, just dribble a few drops of food coloring into it and mix it with a fork. At first it will look like it’s not going to mix well, but after a minute or two the color will get around. It’ll be rather varied and confetti-like – click on the image above for a closeup – but I like it that way. Keeps it from looking mass-produced, y’know?.

Some variations include flattening out the balls into thick cookie shapes before boiling, and serving them with a mixture of sugar and sesame seeds on the side.

My variation:

Halved the recipe.  Added double the sugar than the recipe indicated.

Added more water than recipe indicated.

Result: SOOOOO Amazing.  Make this NOW.

I rolled my boiled mochi in desiccated coconut and sugar.  WOW.

Mine were around an inch diameter.

Note: Unhealthy mochi here.