Japanese Stuffed Tofu Pouches with Ricecake (Mochi Kinchaku)

Oden is a Japanese one-pot dish consisting of several ingredients such as tofu, hard boiled eggs, white radish, or Asian style fishcakes, in a light, soy sauce-flavored broth. Among all ingredients, my favourite is Mochi Kinchaku (Lucky Pouch with Ricecake), also known as stuffed tofu pouch with ricecake. I like everything made of glutinous rice and the soft fried tofu absorbed all tasty flavour from the broth.

In my recipe, I also stuff fishcake in the tofu pouch for adding different texture. Authentically, this is not what it supposes to be. Well, this is not an authentic recipe, but a delicious yet practical one.

• Ingredients –
  Japanese fried tofu pouch, 3. This Japanese fried tofu can be found in most Asian grocery stores;
  Glutinous rice flour, also named sweet rice flour, 1cup. In this recipe, I make the ricecake myself. But if you are lazy then just use the ricecake from supermarket. It’s very easy to obtain;
  Warm water, half cup;
  Fishcake, optional;
• Ingredients of broth –
  Mirin, 4tbsp, or sugar, 3tbsp;
  Japanese soy sauce, 4tbsp, or any light soy sauce, 5tbsp;
  dry kelp, 10g;
  Mini dry shrimp, 2tbsp;
  Onion, one quarter;
  Bamboo skewer, 6;
• Optional ingredients
  White radish/daikon, egg, firm tofu, fishcake, etc.

How to do –
1. Cut apart the tofu pouch from middle. Fishcake sliced into about 2-3 millimeter’s thick;

2. In a mixing bowl, put in the rice flour, slightly seasoned with tiny bit of salt and sugar, about half teaspoon. Add warm water gradually, for this amount of flour, you need about half cup of warm water. Knead till the dough is smooth and not sticky;

3. Divide the dough into six equal small doughs. Roll and press into small flat ricecakes;

4. Stuff the ricecakes and fishcakes into the tofu pouches, then seal with bamboo skewers;

5. In a pot, layer in the tofu pouches, I also put in some daikon chunks and tofu;
6. For the broth, I use onion, dry shrimp, kelp, mirin and soy sauce. Use sugar if you don’t have mirin. Add water till all ingredients covered. Lid on and bring to boil in high heat then simmer in low heat for half an hour. Have a taste and adjust with a bit more sugar or soy sauce after 20 minutes of simmering;

7. Then they are ready to serve. Usually serve with mustard. I like to make a big pot and reheat whenever I want. It’s good to be afterwork snack before dinner or late night snack.