How Can I Make Japanese Rice Crackers?
Japanese rice crackers are easier to make than you might think. The simple ingredients and cooking process make for a surprisingly straightforward recipe. You'll start with rice flour and water--the blank canvas on which to test a myriad of seasonings.
The Rice Flour Mixture and Flavorings
The basic ingredients of the traditional Japanese rice cracker consist of rice flour and water. It is best to get Japanese rice flour (mochiko) for making the traditional flat and round Japanese senbei instead of buying prepared square rice cakes or blocks (mochi). The prepared mochi blocks are better for making the Japanese rice snacks arare and okaki, which are bite-sized circular morsels and often wrapped with small pieces of seaweed.
Traditionally, seasonings are added after the cracker is baked or grilled, and sugar can be mixed into the rice flour for a sweeter taste. For a more traditional flavor, a basic mix of soy sauce and mirin (sweet cooking wine) is used to coat the cracker after it is baked. Black sesame seeds or ginger can be mixed in after the dough has been kneaded. Feel free to experiment: Add whatever spices you like to the kneaded dough.
The Dough
The dry ingredients should be mixed together as if you were making pasta. They are then gently kneaded with hot water added to the dough. The dough is then separated into individual balls before it is steamed briefly to give it extra volume. After you've steamed the dough, you must roll it into individual circular pieces, giving the senbei its traditional shape.
Shaping the Crackers
At this point you can also experiment with different sizes and shapes before baking. For a simple and traditional Japanese senbei, you can bake the dough in an oven. The longer you bake the dough, the crunchier and darker the crackers will become, so feel free to experiment to get the crunch you prefer. After baking, coat crackers with the mixture of mirin and soy sauce and seaweed. It is also possible to sprinkle rock sugar, sea salt and pepper in lieu of the traditional coating.
Tags: rice flour, bake dough, free experiment, into individual, Japanese rice, Japanese senbei