Chīzu Imomochi Japanese Potato Mochi (Printable)

Pan-fried potato mochi filled with melted cheese and coated in a sweet-savory soy-honey glaze. Ready in 40 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ For the Dumplings

01 - 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (14 oz)
02 - ½ cup potato starch or cornstarch
03 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 3 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 cubes

→ For the Soy-Honey Glaze

06 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
07 - 1½ tablespoons honey
08 - 1 tablespoon mirin
09 - 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

→ For Frying

10 - 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as canola or vegetable

# How-To:

01 - Place peeled and chopped potatoes in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
02 - Drain potatoes thoroughly and mash until smooth. While still warm, add butter and salt, mixing well to incorporate.
03 - Add potato starch to the mashed potatoes and knead until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. If too sticky, incorporate additional starch gradually.
04 - Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a disc, place a cheese cube in the center, and wrap the dough around to seal, forming a ball.
05 - Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add dumplings and cook, turning occasionally, until all sides are golden brown, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
06 - In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, mirin, and rice vinegar. Pour glaze into skillet with dumplings. Toss gently to coat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens and glazes the dumplings.
07 - Transfer to serving plate and serve warm. Optionally garnish with sliced scallions or toasted sesame seeds.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between crispy golden edges and the gooey melted cheese inside is absolutely addictive.
  • Its a forgiving recipe that works even if your dough feels too soft or slightly crumbly.
  • The sticky soy-honey glaze clings to every bite and brings sweet, salty, umami depth.
  • You only need a handful of pantry ingredients and about 40 minutes start to finish.
02 -
  • Mash the potatoes while they are still hot, or the dough will be lumpy and harder to work with.
  • Do not skip sealing the cheese completely inside, or it will leak out during frying and burn in the pan.
  • Keep the heat at medium when frying so the outside crisps without burning before the inside warms through.
  • The glaze will look thin at first, but it thickens quickly as it bubbles, so do not walk away.
03 -
  • Wet your hands slightly before shaping the dough to prevent sticking without adding too much extra starch.
  • If the glaze starts to burn, lower the heat immediately and add a teaspoon of water to loosen it.
  • Make a double batch and freeze the shaped, uncooked dumplings on a tray, then transfer to a bag and fry from frozen whenever a craving hits.
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