Japanese Soft Red Bean Daifuku Mochi

Divide 240 g ready-to-eat cooked red bean paste into eight 30 g balls. Spread roughly 40 g of the potato starch over a clean work surface.

Combine 130 g sweet rice flour and 40 g sugar in a microwave-safe bowl, adding 180 ml water gradually until smooth. Loosely cover with a microwave-safe lid and microwave at 600 W for two minutes, then stir.

Microwave again at 600 W for one minute and stir well, repeating in 30-second bursts if necessary until all dough is translucent, stretchy, and no dry white flour remains. Do not touch while hot.

Carefully transfer hot mochi to starch and let cool 10–15 minutes. Dust with remaining 25 g starch, divide into eight and flatten. Fill each with 30 g anko, then bring the edges together and seal.

Plate separately and serve two per person. Sticky mochi poses severe choking risk for young children, older adults and anyone with swallowing difficulty; avoid serving to at-risk people or cut into tiny pieces as appropriate with supervision.