Aunty does not do traditions very well, but one that is done because it is a favorite is Ozoni – soup with mizuna and mochi. Aunty likes the simple simple kind of ozoni that her mother used to make for the family. Other families have awesome ozoni made with fishcake, daikon, gobo, carrots, and a lot more. For Aunty, simple is better for Aunty to remember.
However, since it is made only at New Year’s, 364 days go by and Aunty forgets what to do. This post is one for Aunty to refer to, gomennasai (solly).
Ingredients are:
mochi
mizuna
dried shrimp or scallops
chicken broth
shiitake mushrooms
hondashi
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- simple ingredients
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- hondashi or soup base
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- soak mushrooms
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- boil dried scallops
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- boil hard mochi
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in water until soft. Then cut in half. Cut mizuna bunches into 2 inch lengths.
Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water with dried scallops or shrimp. Add mushrooms, chicken broth and simmer. Add hondashi to taste (you could substitute with instant ramen seasoning). Add cut mizuna.
If you have fresh mochi, add to bowl and pour soup over. If mochi is hard or frozen, boil in a separate small pot to soften. Cooking the mochi in the pot will make the broth cloudy.
Please eat hardy and have good thoughts of the wonderful new year ahead of us all!
Thank you for the recipe. I was sick with cold for last two weeks so I didn’t go buy mochi. or other traditional new year’s foods. I slept lots and watched whole bunch of Korean drama (I loved Pinocchio, very touching drama) when I was awake.
I should go buy some mochi soon and would like to try this recipe.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, Nipponnin! Sorry that you were down with a cold for so long. I just finished watching “Oh My Venus” on dramafever.com – I loved the acting and story.
I am honored that you want to try this simple recipe – especially since you are such a great cook! Much mahalo and aloha!
Hauoli Makahiki Hou, Aunty, hope the new year has started out to be promising, prosperous, & healthy. What a great way to start your 2016 website with the simple ozoni recipe which will guide non-cooks like me to offer a cherished traditional dish for good fortune. I just happen to have some dried scallops, so will add this delicacy to the soup.
Mahalo nui loa, Tutu
Happy New Year to you too, Tutu!
I had to post this because as I was making it, I forgot about the mushrooms so I had to soak (takes awhile) them and add them to the soup. Almost forgot about the hondashi too. That adds just the right deliciousness to simple Japanese dishes.
Mahalo for visiting,
Aunty
I loooooove ozoni!
Me too! I LOVE mochi and your latest post with the picture of your fried mochi with sugar and shoyu had my mouth watering! I like it fried in butter and I put a tad of shoyu on. Yum yum yum!