I just got one of these from the local bakery!
Anpan (a.k.a Red bean buns) have always been a favorite treat of mine. They’re very sweet and delicious, and the red bean paste filling tastes just like chocolate. Plus, if you can hunt down some that don’t have egg wash on them, they’re the perfect treat for vegans because the red beans are very nutritious.
You know what else millet is good for? Dango (Japanese dumplings)!
I’ve made a number of posts earlier on dango that I’ve made from glutenous rice flour - those ones were the variety of dango that are sweet and used in deserts. Millet dumplings are really good to put in things like soup. But, they were really good in oshiruko (sweet azuki bean soup), too!
I only made a very small batch, so I ground the millet up the old fashioned way with a mortar & pestle 
So, as promised, I did end up trying out some other variations of the daifuku.
…Matcha!
This time, I actually added no sugar to the mochi part, and it was perfect! So, actually, if anyone wants to try out the recipe that I posted a few days ago, it turns out that leaving out the sweetener is totally fine (:
Other than that, it’s same as the previous recipe: 4 tbsp glutinous rice flour (mixed of course with a pinch of matcha powder), and juuust enough water to make it into a thick paste.
Provided you have already pre-made the azuki bean paste filling (I always have some on hand in the freezer), making a single serving of daifuku only takes about 5 minutes! …Probably less once I get a little more skilled at it (Actual microwave time is 10-15 seconds)
When I buy one large daifuku in the local stores, they tend to run at about $2 or more, so this is a real money-saver for me.
Following Japanese tradition, I enjoyed my daifuku along with some freshly whisked matcha tea.
The traditional tea ceremony has a tremendous significance in Japanese culture, and is valued for its relaxing & calming effects – a perfect break in our hectic schedules!
…Now back to writing my paper!
Daifuku are an extremely popular traditional Japanese delicacy. There’s just nothing else like it!
They are the absolute perfect desert in that they’re vegan, use absolutely no added fat, they’re rich in protein, and they meet our amino acid requirements!
- For anyone who hasn’t tried them before, they have the most incredible gooey texture on the outside (similar to a marshmallow, but faaar gooier! …kind of like a cross between marshmallows & melted mozzarella). And on the inside, is azuki which is made from azuki beans, but it’s so sweet and delicious that I’ve had friends mistake it for chocolate! – I absolutely recommend them (:
But, here’s what I did:
First I make some azuki following the recipe I posted before – this is going to be the filling.
The following recipe makes two daifuku.
For the mochi (the outer layer), I use:
-I put the ingredients in a bowl & mix together with a spoon.
-Then I add hot water and keep mixing it in until the mixture is soft, but still very thick and gooey…thinner than bread dough, but thicker than cake dough.
-Put it in the microwave on high for 30 seconds – until the mixture juuust begins to rise (don’t overheat!)
-Then I take it out of the microwave and mix it with a spoon. Moving quickly while it’s still hot, I wet my hands with water and powder my hands with cornstarch, and place the dough on top of a plate with a small amount of cornstarch.
…and then just wrap it around 1 tbsp of anko!
It takes a bit of practice to get it right, as the dough is so very, very sticky…but I don’t even care because it’s just sooo good
I used to buy them all the time…until I discovered a couple nights ago how incredibly easy they are to make! So, so happy
I’m going to try out other ingredients, too. The traditional filling is azuki, but there are many variations such as chocolate or sesame paste filling, or mixing matcha in to the mochi layer…or maybe some banana! I’m not sure, but I’ll get creative and keep you all updated! (:
- I’m curious, has anyone else ever tried making (or eating!) daifuku?
Upon request from luminousvegans, I’m updating with a recipe for the dango (sweet sticky rice mochi dumplings) and oshiruko (sweet azuki bean soup) dish I posted yesterday!
I apologize that it’s not very precise though, because every time I just kind of wing it and it’s a little different.
For the dango, you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup of mochiko rice flour
- 1tsp sugar (or some other sweetener)
Mix those together in a bowl and add just enough boiling water to moisten it, and stir it all in.
Knead it with your hands or a spatula
Roll it into balls with the help of a little cornstarch
Then, just drop them in boiling water, and when they float, they’re done!
For the oshiruko pudding, you’ll need some azuki beans.
- Soak them in water for about 5 hours
- Boil and then drain the water
- Add some more cold water and simmer until most of the water is evaporated
The height of the water should be about 5x as high as the beans, as azuki beans are expected to swell to 5x their size.
The simmering time varies a lot depending on the heat and the amount of beans, but for me, it usually takes about half a day.
I know it’s ready when the beans are very soft and I can easily stir it into a bit of a paste with my spatula.
Once I’ve done that, I add some sweetener to taste. I used to use sugar, but agave seems to work just fine! Again, the amount of sugar varies a lot! Some people like it very sweet, but when I eat it in the soup form like this, I tend to put a little less sweetener.
Again, sorry if my recipe is a little vague, I hope it makes sense!
