Vegan Warabi Mochi with Brown Sugar Syrup & Kinako

🛒 Ingredients

• #Warabi Mochi
• 50 g warabi starch (bracken starch) — substitute: kudzu starch or 35 g tapioca starch + 15 g potato starch
• 50 g cane sugar
• 300 ml water
• Pinch of salt
• #Kuromitsu Brown Sugar Syrup
• 80 g dark brown sugar or muscovado sugar
• 100 ml water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• #Coating
• 3–4 tbsp roasted soybean flour (kinako) — plus extra for dusting

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the mochi base: In a saucepan, whisk warabi starch, sugar, salt, and COLD water until completely smooth with no lumps. Let rest 5 minutes so the starch fully dissolves.

2. 2

   Cook until translucent: Place over medium heat. Stir CONSTANTLY — especially the bottom and corners — as it heats. The mixture will turn milky, then suddenly become CLEAR, glossy, and stretchy like jelly. Once fully translucent and thick, keep stirring and cook 2–3 minutes more to cook the starch completely. It should pull away from the pan smoothly.

3. 3

   Cool & set: Quickly pour the hot mixture into a shallow container lined with parchment paper or lightly greased. Spread evenly to about 1.5 cm thick. Let cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes until firm and cold.

4. 4

   Make the syrup: Combine brown sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small pot. Simmer gently 5–8 minutes until slightly thickened and syrupy. Remove from heat and cool completely — it thickens more as it cools.

5. 5

   Coat & serve: Sprinkle kinako generously over a clean surface. Turn out the chilled mochi and cut into cubes or diamond shapes. Toss each piece in kinako so it’s fully coated — prevents sticking and adds wonderful nutty flavour. Arrange in bowls, dust with extra kinako, and pour plenty of warm or cold brown sugar syrup over top. Enjoy immediately!