Ohagi (Traditional) From My Neighbour Totoro

Ohagi (Traditional) From My Neighbour Totoro

Happy #GhibliGourmet month! Today’s recipe is an obscure item from My Neighbour Totoro - the gift that Kanta brings to the Kusakabes when they first move in.

I posted a quick-fix ohagi from Sousei no Onmyoji before, but was tempted to make a real ohagi from scratch. Usually, I do not have not much affinity with western desserts, so I wanted to try an asian one, to only find out that I have not much affinity with wagashi as well.

I tried following the recipe for anko from just one cookbook, but somehow it didn’t work for me. I even soaked the beans for 24 hours! It was a lot of work for not much anko. See whether her recipe above (click the link above) works for you, if not, I have reflected the cooking times it took me below as well. I decided to only make the non-strained tsubuan version.

Also, check out what the rest of the Fandom Foodies have made for #GhibliGourmet in the linkup post here!

Recipe is below the cut! (Dashboard Users)

Ingredients

For Anko

1 cup (250ml)  azuki beans

1 cup (250ml) sugar (or to taste)

Pinch of salt

For Rice

360ml mochi rice

390ml water

Pinch of salt

Others

Kinako powder (for topping, optional)

+ Plastic Gloves/Clingwrap

Method

For Anko

1. Soak the beans in water overnight. (I soaked them for a day)

2. The next day, pour the old water away, and put in new water about 1-2 inches above the beans.

3. Set beans to boil on high heat.

4. Reduce to a simmer after it starts to boil. Keep some water handy to add whenever it boils down. (Note: this somehow took me 5 hours? Even though other recipes say 1-2 hours.)

5. When the beans are soft and you can smush one between your fingers, add the sugar in gradually, stirring with a ladle/slotted spoon.

6. When you can draw a line at the bottom of the pot with the ladle that lasts for two seconds, it means it’s viscous enough and then you can add in the salt, stir, and let it cool.

For the rice

1. Set the mochi rice to cook in your rice cooker. (Use the sushi rice function if it has one.) I was going to make it in a clay pot and everything, but the long anko-making process made me tired, so I used a rice cooker.

2. Sprinkle salt over and then mash it into rough chunks with a wet wooden pestle.

Assembly

I made 2 kinds of ohagi - the anko-covered one, and the kinako covered one.

For the anko covered one:

1. Wet a plastic glove/ clingwrap, and spread about 2 tbsp anko on it.

2. Make a rice ball about 1-1.5 inch in diameter, and place it in the centre of the anko.

3. Cover all the rice with anko. Add more anko if necessary.

For the Kinako-covered one

1. Spread and flatten the rice on your palm, with a layer of damp plastic in between your hand and the rice. Make it as flat and wide as you can.

2. Place a dollop of anko in the centre, and work the rice to cover the anko. Add more rice if necessary. (And this was why my kinako ones were bigger than my anko-covered ones)

3. Pour the kinako (soybean flour) on a plate, and roll the rice-covered ohagi in it!

Finally, decide to just have your neighbours give you ohagi everytime instead of making it yourself.

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