How to Cook Zoni, Japanese Mochi Soup for New Year's Day

        As I mentioned in my previous entry, during New Year's holiday, it's a Japanese traditional to eat mochi. Specially, mochi soup, which is called zoni (雑煮) or ozoni (お雑煮), is commonly eaten in Japan during New Year's holiday. On January 1, I cooked this zoni as New Year's mochi soup. Today, I'm going to share how to cook zoni with you. By the way, ingredients of zoni are vary by regions. While zoni is consist of a clear soup in Kanto region, miso is added in zoni in Kansai region. In Kanto region, zoni has square mochi, but round mochi is popular in Kyushu region. 



Ingredients (8 Servings)
2 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
1 Cup (250 ml) of Hot Water (for step 1)
2 Cup (500 ml) of Water
1 Lb of Chicken Thigh (Cut into Small Bite Sizes)
2 Carrots (Sliced)
2 Teaspoons of Japanese dashi (I love agodashi. You can also use hondashi.)
2 Tablespoons of Sake
1 Fl Oz (30 ml) of Soy Sauce
Mochi



1. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes. Take the shiitake mushrooms out of hot water. (The hot water has plenty of umami flavor from shiitake mushroom, which is shiitake mushroom stock, so keep it for step 2.


2. Put sliced shiitake mushrooms, shiitake mushroom stock (from step 1) and water in a pan. Bring it to a boil. 

3. Add chicken and carrot. Simmer it for 5 minutes and skim the scum off the top of the soup. 　

4. Add dashi, sake and soy sauce. Bring it to a boil.

5. Add mochi, and simmer it until mochi is fully cooked and becomes tender.

6. Serve and enjoy!

      These are also my entries you might like.
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■How to Make Warabimochi with Microwave Oven

■How to Cook Easy Teriyaki Chicken

■How to Make Japanese Deep Fried Chicken, Kara-Age

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■Top 10 Most Popular Japanese Foods 


    My entries related to cooking can be seen here.

    My entries related to my favorite recipes can be seen here.

    My entries related to foods my husband cooked can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japanese instant ramen can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japanese noodles can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.
 
    My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan can be seen here. 

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