Strawberry Mochi Milk (Nana's Green Tea Copycat Recipe)

Cut off the stems of 80 g strawberries and cut them into small pieces. Place them in a pan and add 2 tsp granulated sugar and ½ tsp lemon juice.

Heat on medium while stirring. Once they start to soften, crush them with a fork to your desired consistency.

Once the strawberries are crushed and the sauce has thickened slightly, transfer the sauce to a heatproof bowl and leave to cool.

Start boiling a pot of water. While you wait, add 1 tbsp glutinous rice flour and ¼ tsp potato starch to a bowl (skip the starch if using shiratamako). Add ½ tsp of water at a time and mix well between each addition. Continue to add water until it forms a stable ball, then knead it in your hand until it reaches the softness of an earlobe. I find 1 ½ tsp water is enough, but you might need more or less.

Roll the dough into a thin log about 1cm thick (a little less than ½"). Roughly cut into 1cm pieces and prepare a bowl of ice cold water.

Once your pot of water is at a rolling boil, roll the dough pieces into balls and drop them straight into the water. Rolling 5-6 at once will speed up the process. Use a chopstick or spoon to gently roll them to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Once they start floating, set a timer for 30 seconds.

Use a mesh spoon to scoop them out and into the bowl of ice-cold water and cool for a few minutes.

Take your serving cup and add 3 tbsp strawberry sauce. Drain the mochi balls and shake off any excess water, then add them to the strawberry sauce and mix (save a few for the top if you like). Top with 1 tbsp boiled adzuki beans and a few ice cubes (optional). In a small jug, mix 150 ml milk and 1 ½ tsp condensed milk (optional) and pour it into the glass.

Optionally, decorate with whipped cream, strawberries, boiled adzuki beans and leftover mochi balls. Mix well before drinking and enjoy!