Sift sweet rice flour (Mochiko) into a bowl.

Mix in the sugar, then the water.

If you wish to add food coloring, do so now.

Steam mixture in a steamer or microwave.

In steamer: Pour mixture into an oiled bowl. Steam for about 45 minutes until dough is gummy.

In microwave: Pour mixture into an oiled bowl and cover. Microwave for 15 minutes.

Once dough is ready, dust a board and your hands with the extra sweet rice flour and knead the dough until it has a smooth texture.

Shape the dough into individual balls for use or flatten the balls and use them to cover a filling, if you like.