Coconut Mung bean Mochi (Rice cake)

I decided to pick up some Mochiko flour at the supermarket and experiment with it at the kitchen. Mochiko flour, also known as Sweet Rice Flour, is made from short-grain glutinous rice. It has high starch content and contains no gluten. It acts great as a flour substitute for people who have gluten allergies. Mochiko flour is used commonly in Asia to make variations of rice noodles and other baked goods and desserts. It is also used as a thickening agent in sauces, similar to cornstarch.

I thought about what kind of flavors to make. I decided to go simple. Along with the flour, I also picked up a can of coconut milk. I figured coconut flavor would go well. Instead of making Mochi balls or filling the cakes, I decided to just make rectangular bars. I came across some Mung beans in the fridge. Mung bean is an awesome ingredient that can be found in many Asian and Southeast Asian dishes. It would add extra deliciousness to the cake. I would recommend boiling the mung beans beforehand.

Ingredients:

• 0.5 cup butter
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lb mochiko flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)
• 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
• 0.5 cup water
• ~1.5 cups mung beans

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs.
2. Transfer mixture into a large mixing bowl.
3. Slowly incorporate the mochiko flour and the baking powder into the mixture.
4. Add the coconut milk, evaporated milk, and water.
5. Mix well. 
6. Once the mixture is smooth, stir in the mung beans.
7. Pour into a baking dish.
8. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. It took about 45 minutes using the convection oven. The mochi is ready when the edges are slightly brown and the top has solidified. You can test it by inserting a thin toothpick and observing if the toothpick comes out clean.

I made one batch using those silicone muffin cups. They worked pretty well. The cakes came out looking like… little cakes, I guess. I built a stack of these very cute, bite-size pieces!

This batch I made using a baking dish. I noticed all the mung beans sank to the bottom. There was a very nice thin layer of brown on top. I cut the mochi in to squared pieces and flipped over the pieces.

These mochi cakes were a success! They were very flavorful and tasty. The smell of coconut was delightful. I probably should have boiled the mung beans prior to adding it into the mochi mixture. Either way, these coconut mung bean mochi cakes make awesome treats! Next time I will have to try out other flavors and ingredients.