We want to incorporate as many healthy foods as possible into our daily lives. How wonderful it would be to celebrate special occasions with delicious and healthy foods. In "Chami's Kitchen," Chami, who holds fermentation and dim sum cooking classes at her home, will teach us various seasonal recipes with the theme of "fermentation x celebration." This time, we learned a recipe for chimaki that is perfect for Children's Day. It is a triangular chimaki that is wrapped without using rush or string.
Blanch the bamboo leaves once and wipe off the water. This is only necessary if you are concerned about the smell of desiccants, etc.
Put the A rice flour and sugar into a bowl and mix. Pour in boiling water, being careful not to burn yourself. Mix it with chopsticks, and when it becomes manageable, mix it with your hands to combine it.
Put the (B) shiratamako (rice flour) and cane sugar into a bowl and mix. Add the water and mix with your hands to combine.
Tear apart ingredients A and mix into bowl B. The dough will be a little firm as it will be steamed.
Roll it with your hands to flatten it out and divide it into 6 equal parts.
Roll it between your palms to make it round.
Wrap it in bamboo leaves. Please refer to the illustration for how to wrap it.
Put it in a steamer, bring it to a boil, then steam it over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Check the inside and if it turns transparent, it's done.
If you don't have a steamer, you can use a steamer sold at a 100 yen shop instead. The steaming time is just a guide. Please adjust the time as it may vary depending on the cooking equipment you have at home.
When you open the lid, steam with the scent of bamboo leaves rises. What a soothing moment!
The freshly steamed dumplings are piping hot, and the gentle sweetness and aroma of bamboo leaves fill your mouth. They are smooth and chewy, so you can eat them in no time. Another appealing feature is that they are wrapped in a way that doesn't use rush grass or string, making them even easier to make.
If you are worried about the dough sticking to the bamboo leaves, you can lightly coat them with rice oil or other scentless oil before wrapping them to prevent them from sticking.
The sweetness is moderate, so you can eat it with the sauce like mitarashi dango. Mix 2 tablespoons of amazake and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce to make a sweet and salty sauce. Adjust the amount to taste. It is a sugar-free sauce that is gentle on the body, so you can eat it with peace of mind.
[A word from Chami-san]
Joshinko rice flour makes firm dumplings, so we gelatinize it in hot water to make the dumplings smooth. Be careful not to get burned. Have fun making and eating them as a family celebration for the Boys' Festival. Making chimaki reminded me of when my sons were young.
Chimaki is a symbol of prayer for the healthy growth of children and a talisman against evil. In China, chimaki is considered a symbol of loyalty, and people feed chimaki to children in the hope that they will grow up to be loyal.
Why not try making your own chimaki this Children's Day? It would be fun to make it together with your children by kneading the flour and rolling the mochi into balls. Have a fun Children's Day with some homemade triangular chimaki!
Why not try making your own chimaki this Children's Day? It would be fun to make it together with your children by kneading the flour and rolling the mochi into balls. Have a fun Children's Day with some homemade triangular chimaki!
◆ For more information on the food of the Boys' Festival, click here ◆
Seasonal Changes: Beginning of Summer
