As the temperatures rise, there’s nothing quite like a cool and refreshing treat to beat the heat. And what better way to indulge in the flavors of summer than with watermelon mochi?
This delightful Japanese-inspired dessert combines the sweetness of watermelon with the chewy texture of mochi for a unique and delicious treat that’s perfect for any summer gathering.
What Is Watermelon Mochi
Mochi is a signature Japanese dessert that looks like a cute round bun. It is made of glutinous rice flour, which gives it its soft, sticky, and super chewy texture. Aside from glutinous rice flour, the mochi dough is also mixed with other essential ingredients like cornstarch, white sugar, milk, and oil.
Watermelon mochi stands out from other types of mochi, such as Mango Mochi, Peanut Mochi, Strawberry Mochi, Mochi With Red Bean Paste, and Taro Mochi, because it does not have fillings.
Instead, it features a smooth and chewy texture with a subtle watermelon flavor. Additionally, watermelon mochi needs to be refrigerated to maintain its freshness and firmness. This cooling dessert is perfect for hot summer days and offers a unique twist on traditional mochi treats.
Tips And Suggestions For Watermelon Mochi
- Fresh watermelon juice: I extracted the watermelon flesh and blended it into juice, using about 300g of it to prepare the watermelon mochi. The leftover juice was utilized for making Watermelon Popsicles, ensuring no wastage of the fruit. Additionally, I repurposed the watermelon rind to create Watermelon Rind Candy. You can opt for fresh whole watermelon, pre-cut watermelon slices, seedless watermelon, or store-bought watermelon juice for this recipe.
- Glutinous rice flour: Glutinous rice flour serves as the key ingredient in creating various flavors of mochi, such as Boba Milk Tea Mochi, and Matcha Mochi. It provides that delightful sensation where the mochi sticks to your teeth and stretches as you bite into it. Despite its name, “glutinous,” which refers to its sticky properties when cooked, it’s gluten-free. Investing in this special flour is truly worthwhile! Besides making mochi, there are countless other recipes on Kitchen Misadventures where glutinous rice flour can be used. Whether it’s for crafting Nian Gao, Tang Yuan, Ham Sui Gok (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings), or Festive Snow Skin Mooncakes, having some leftover glutinous rice flour opens up a world of culinary possibilities!
- Cornstarch: In addition to glutinous rice flour, cornstarch adds a chewy and thicker consistency to the dough, To substitute cornstarch, opt for the following alternatives:
- All-Purpose Flour (1:1 ratio)
- Arrowroot Powder (1:1 ratio)
- Tapioca Starch/Flour (1:1 ratio)
- Potato Starch (1:1 ratio)
- Rice Flour (1:1 ratio)
- Sugar: Use white sugar to have a white plain canvas of the mochi. In this way, you can make it easier to add your choice of color when you coat the outer layer of the mochi. If you don’t mind having a tint of brown, you can also use brown sugar, coconut sugar, cane sugar, or muscovado sugar.
- Butter: After microwaving the mochi dough, I take advantage of its heat to add a small amount of butter. This step helps improve the elasticity and structure of the dough while also imparting richness and creaminess to the mochi. You can use salted or unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, dairy-free butter, or margarine for this purpose.
- Coating: To finish, I coat the mochi with cooked glutinous rice flour for a smooth texture. Alternatively, you can use coconut flakes or shredded coconut for added flavor and texture.
Cooking Methods: There are primarily three methods to cook mochi dough.
- Pan-frying method, as demonstrated in the Chocolate Mochi Recipe and Strawberry Mochi Recipe.
- Steam method, as seen in my Peanut Mochi recipe and Taro Mochi recipe.
- The microwave method, as demonstrated in the Matcha Mochi recipe, is the technique used to prepare this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 watermelon
- 230g glutinous rice flour
- 65g cornstarch
- 40g sugar
- 300g watermelon juice
- 30g butter
- Cooked glutinous rice flour (for dusting)
Instructions:
Preparing the Watermelon:
Choose a ripe watermelon and cut it in half. Slice each half into strips and remove the flesh from the rind. You can also check out my recipe for Watermelon Popsicles to see how I scoop out the watermelon flesh.
Place the watermelon flesh into a blender and blend until smooth. I measure out 300g of watermelon juice for the mochi recipe, reserving the remaining juice for making Watermelon Popsicles.
Making the Mochi Dough:
Mixing the Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, and watermelon juice. Mix well until fully combined.
Sift the mochi mixture once to ensure a smooth texture.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, poke a few holes with a toothpick, and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
After microwaving, add butter to the hot mochi mixture.
Allow the mochi mixture to cool to room temperature, then knead until the butter is evenly incorporated. Stretch it for approximately 5 minutes until it reaches a smooth and elastic consistency.
Shaping and Chilling the Mochi:
Transfer the mochi dough into a container lined with parchment paper. Use your hands to flatten the surface of the mochi dough.
Refrigerate the mochi dough for at least 3 hours, or until firm.
Once chilled, dust the watermelon mochi with cooked glutinous rice flour to prevent sticking.
Cut the watermelon mochi into strips, and then into bite-sized pieces.
Watermelon Mochi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 watermelon
- 230 g glutinous rice flour
- 65 g cornstarch
- 40 g sugar
- 300 g watermelon juice
- 30 g butter
- Cooked glutinous rice flour for dusting
Instructions
Preparing the Watermelon:
- Choose a ripe watermelon and cut it in half. Slice each half into strips and remove the flesh from the rind. You can also check out my recipe for Watermelon Popsicles to see how I scoop out the watermelon flesh.
- Place the watermelon flesh into a blender and blend until smooth. I measure out 300g of watermelon juice for the mochi recipe, reserving the remaining juice for making Watermelon Popsicles.
Making the Mochi Dough:
- Mixing the Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, and watermelon juice. Mix well until fully combined.
- Sift the mochi mixture once to ensure a smooth texture.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, poke a few holes with a toothpick, and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
- After microwaving, add butter to the hot mochi mixture.
- Allow the mochi mixture to cool to room temperature, then knead until the butter is evenly incorporated. Stretch it for approximately 5 minutes until it reaches a smooth and elastic consistency.
Shaping and Chilling the Mochi:
- Transfer the mochi dough into a container lined with parchment paper. Use your hands to flatten the surface of the mochi dough.
- Refrigerate the mochi dough for at least 3 hours, or until firm.
- Once chilled, dust the watermelon mochi with cooked glutinous rice flour to prevent sticking.
- Cut the watermelon mochi into strips, and then into bite-sized pieces.
Mine came out tough ?😔
Hi Alan, if your mochi turned out hard, it could be due to overcooking, insufficient liquid in the batter, leaving the cooked dough uncovered for too long, or inadequate kneading.
Should I strain the watermelon juice, or is the pulp required?
Hello Ranjie,
I used only watermelon juice without the pulp. I didn’t strain the juice. However, in case the blending isn’t thorough enough, you can strain it.