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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📖 Recipe
Mitarashi Dango (Japanese Rice Dumplings)
Equipment
- Medium-size saucepan
- Whisk
- Tablespoon
- Large pot
- Large bowl
- Mesh strainer
- Small rimmed baking sheet
- Non-stick frying pan
- 6-7 Skewers
Ingredients
Dango
- 200 grams silken tofu
- 300 grams Mochiko rice flour
Sweet Soy Glaze
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 60 grams soy sauce
- 177 grams water
- 16 grams potato starch
Instructions
- Mix sugar, soy sauce, water, and potato starch in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the syrup thickens and becomes clear. Let it cool before using.
- To prepare the dough, mash tofu in a large bowl. Add Mochiko rice flour and mix well until dough is soft, yet firm enough to hold its shape. Adjust consistency with more tofu or rice flour. Knead dough with hands until desired consistency.
- Scoop a tablespoon of dough and roll into balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water.
- Cook the dough balls in batches until they float in boiling water, then cook for 2 more minutes. Use a mesh or spider strainer to remove the dango from the water and transfer them to ice water.
- After the dango cools, drain it and transfer it to a wet baking sheet to prevent sticking. Then add 3-4 dango balls onto each skewer.
- Heat a dry non-stick frying pan on medium heat, place the skewered dango and cook until lightly browned. Flip and brown the other side. You can also use a blow torch for a better char.
- Place the dango on a plate and pour the sweet soy glaze over top. Serve immediately!
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