Mitarashi Dango is a traditional Japanese sweet that makes for a great snack. These dumplings (yes, dumplings!) are skewered on a stick and covered in a sweet soy glaze. What I like about this dish is that it is quite satisfying without being overly sweet. Mitarashi dango is quite easy to make and with just a few ingredients, you too can make this at home!

What is Mitarashi Dango?

As I said earlier, mitarashi dango is a traditional Japanese sweet. Mitarashi Dango originated from the Kamo Mitarashi Tea house in the Shimogamo area in Kyoto, Japan. Mitarashi dango got its name from the bubbles of the mitarashi — the purifying water at the entrance of a shrine. The gods in this shrine where thought to have been given dango as an offering. Nowadays, you can find these sold at street vendors, Japanese sweet shops, and at convenience stores. 

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you’ll probably notice that I’ve been making a lot of Japanese food lately. And yes, I do admit it, I have been on a Japanese kick lately. Why? Well, my husband keeps asking for it and also because we miss traveling, and we miss Japan and the amazing food. Since traveling to other countries isn’t happening anytime soon (due to the pandemic), I wanted to bring Japan into our homes. I believe that one of the best representations of a country is through their food.

In Japan, they traditionally made dango with a mix of two types of glutinous rice flour, however there are some places that use soft tofu. Which is what I did. Soft tofu, mixed with mochiko rice flour gives the dango more structure. I used Mochiko rice flour because I’ve seen it more commonly in the supermarkets than the other Japanese rice flours used in mitarashi dango. I also don’t find the taste of tofu overpowering at all.

If you’d tried this recipe out let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @flouredframe and don’t forget to tag me when you create my recipes! Happy cooking!

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Mitarashi Dango (Japanese Rice Dumplings)

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• Author: Floured Frame
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 8 sticks 1x
• Category: Snack
• Method: Cooking
• Cuisine: Japanese
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Mitarashi Dango is a traditional Japanese sweet that makes for a great snack. These dumplings (yes, dumplings!) are skewered on a stick and covered in a sweet soy glaze. What I like about this dish is that it is quite satisfying without being overly sweet.  Mitarashi dango is quite easy to make and with just a few ingredients, you too can make this at home! 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 200g (1 cup) – soft tofu
• 300g (1 ½ cups) – mochiko rice flour https://amzn.to/2Rsn7Er

Sweet Soy Glaze

• 50g (¼ cup) – granulated sugar
• 60g (¼ cup) – soy sauce
• 200ml (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) – water
• 2 tablespoon – potato starch

Equipment:

• Whisk
• 3 mixing bowls
• Medium saucepan
• Measuring tablespoon (to scoop and shape)
• Mesh strainer or spider strainer https://amzn.to/3c2evxS
• Baking sheet
• Bamboo skewers https://amzn.to/33uQCLD
• Skillet or blow torch https://amzn.to/2FAsPC3
• Tongs

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Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, soy sauce, water, and potato starch. Whisk until fully combined. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until the syrup becomes thick and clear. Set it aside to cool and until ready to use.
2. In a large bowl, mash the tofu and mix in the mochiko rice flour. It should be soft, but firm enough to hold together. If it’s too dry, add more soft tofu, and if it’s too wet add in more rice flour.
3. Scoop out a tablespoon-size portion of dough and roll them into balls. And place them on a baking sheet.
4. In a large pot, start boiling the water. Meanwhile, prepare another large bowl with cold water with ice. 
5. Working in batches, cook the dough balls until they float. Once they float in the boiling water, cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove the dango from the water using a mesh strainer (or spider strainer) and place them immediately in the ice water. 
6. Once the dumplings are cooled, drain well and transfer to a wet baking sheet (a wet tray will prevent the dumplings from sticking to the baking sheet)
7. Add 3-4 Dango balls onto each skewer. 
8. Heat a dry non-stick frying pan on medium heat (no oil added), place skewered Dango, and cook until lightly browned. Flip and brown the other side. You can also use a blow torch or a grill to get a better char.
9. Place the dango on a plate. Pour the sweet soy glaze on top and serve immediately!

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Notes

• If you’re not looking to eat them right away, you can save these. After forming the dough, place the uncooked round dumplings on a single layer, in a large airtight container. Then place them in the freezer.
• To cook the frozen dango, boil them without defrosting. 

Keywords: vegan, Japanese, recipe, snack, dango, mitarashi dango, street food, Japanese recipe