Can You Make Mochi With Regular Rice Flour?

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By: Tom Valenti

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Mochi is a traditional Japanese treat made with glutinous sweet rice flour known as mochiko. This flour has high starch content than regular rice flour giving mocha its chewy texture. But what will you do if you crave for Mochi but only have regular rice flour? Can you make mochi with regular rice flour?

Fortunately yes, you can make mochi with regular rice flour. While you can use rice flour to make your mochi, the texture will be different because they are not made from the same type of rice. For the best results with regular rice flour, you will need to add some ingredients to give it a chewy texture.

Here are more details about their differences and how you can use regular rice flour in place of mochiko.

Understanding Regular Rice Flour and Mochiko

Mochiko is made from sweet rice which is sticky and high in starch than regular rice flour. The sweet rice is processed into fine flour which is glutinous thus giving mocha its chewy texture.

On the other hand, regular rice flour is made from non-glutinous flour with a different texture thus cannot make chewy mocha as mochika.

Generally, the main difference between regular rice flour and mochika is in the type of rice used in production and their resulting texture.

Although you can add some ingredients to regular rice flour to enhance its chewiness, it is still not glutinous and thus not as sticky as mochika. The truth is, you’ll get amazing results but you may never achieve the same elasticity and chewiness of a traditional mocha.

Substituting Mochika With Regular Rice Flour

If you want to make mocha with regular rice flour, there are still some creativity you can incorporate to improve the texture and stickiness. You can add cornstarch, glutinous millet flour or glutinous potato flour.

For the best treat, use the following recipe to prepare mocha using regular rice flour;

Mochi Recipe with Regular Rice Flour

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of regular rice flour
  • ¼ cup of sugar
  • 1.5 cups of water
  • ½ cup of cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Whisk flour and sugar in a bowl.
  2. Add the water little by little while stirring until you make a batter
  3. Transfer the batter in a medium sized microwave-safe dish, set to high heat and microwave for two minutes
  4. Remove carefully from the microwave, stir thoroughly and microwave again for another 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and sticky
  5. Dust a clean surface with cornstarch. Place the mocha mixture on the surface and knead until smooth and elastic. You can apply some oil on your hands to avoid sticking.
  6. Roll it into thin mocha using a rolling pin or your hands.
  7. Cut the mocha into desired shapes and sizes and serve as desired.
  8. NOTE: The texture of mocha made with regular rice flour can be a bit crumbly and more difficult to cut and shape.

Printable recipe

make japanese mochi with regular rice flour

Mochi Recipe with Regular Rice Flour

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups of regular rice flour
  • ¼ cup of sugar
  • 1.5 cups of water
  • ½ cup of cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Whisk together the flour and sugar in a bowl
  • Add the water little by little while stirring until you make a batter
  • Transfer the batter in a medium sized microwave-safe dish, set to high heat and microwave for two minutes
  • Remove carefully from the microwave, stir thoroughly and microwave again for another 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and sticky
  • Dust a clean surface with cornstarch. Place the mocha mixture on the surface and knead until smooth and elastic. You can apply some oil on your hands to avoid sticking.
  • Roll it into thin mocha using a rolling pin or your hands.
  • Cut the mocha into desired shapes and sizes and serve as desired.

Video

Notes

 NOTE: The texture of mocha made with regular rice flour can be a bit crumbly and more difficult to cut and shape.

Conclusion

Although mochi is traditionally made using mochiko, you can still prepare it with regular rice flour. The only difference will be the texture but both still yield great results.

It is worth to embrace your creativity and experiment making mocha with regular rice flour. Only incorporate cornstarch or starchy potato flour to enhance a chewiness and stickiness.

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Tom Valenti

Chef/Owner of both Ouest and ‘Cesca, and the Executive Chef of Le Cirque, Alison on Dominick, and Butterfield 81.

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