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–+ servings
coconut rose chi chi dango

Coconut Rose Mochi (Chi Chi Dango)

Print Recipe
This coconut rose mochi is perfect for Hinamatsuri or Valentines Day. It's adapted from a microwave mochi recipe from our family friend, Donna Won.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 10 people

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz box mochiko
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 2 cups water see note
  • 1 tbsp coconut extract
  • 1 tbsp rose water
  • 2 drops red food coloring (optional)
  • potato starch for dusting

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  • Grease a 9x13" pan REALLY WELL. REALLY REALLY WELL. Mochi will stick to any ungreased spots.
  • Mix mochiko, sugar, coconut milk, and water. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl as mochiko can clump and fall to the bottom.
  • Split the batter in half. Add coconut extract to one half. 
  • Pour coconut batter into pan and bake for 10-15 minutes or until just set.
  • Meanwhile, add rose water and food coloring to the other half.
  • When coconut batter is just set, pour rose batter on top.
  • Cover pan TIGHTLY with aluminum foil. If too much steam escapes during baking the mochi will dry out. Bake for one hour. The edges of the mochi may be a little dried out but the center should be moist and squishy.
  • Remove foil and let cool completely.
  • Turn mochi out onto a board dusted with potato starch. Trim off the ends with a pizza cutter. You can discard these if they are too dried out to eat.
  • Cut the remaining mochi into strips and then rectangles. I made mine about .5 x 1 inch long, but you can make them as big or small as you like. Mochi is typically easier to eat in small bites because of how dense and chewy it is. 
  • Toss in potato starch as needed to keep from sticking. Keep mochi in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

I made my chi chi dango with this recipe for DECADES but suddenly in the past few years, it's sometimes been too watery. I think the culprit is Trader Joe's coconut milk, which does not include added emulsifiers such as guam gar. If you can, avoid using Trader Joe's brand coconut milk just for my chi chi dango recipes. However, if that's all you have, I recommend reducing the water to 1 cup.