Mitarashi dango
Soy-glazed rice dumplings
Mitarashi dango (みたらし団子): grilled rice dumplings in a sweet soy glaze
Mitarashi dango are said to come from Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto, where they were sold at the midsummer purification festival; today they are the snack of shrine fairs, flower-viewing picnics and station kiosks all over Japan. Chewy little rice-flour balls are threaded on skewers, toasted until speckled, and coated in a translucent, sweet-salty soy glaze that tastes a little like caramel. Mochi is very sticky: cut it into small pieces for young children and older people, and make sure they chew well and eat sitting down. The common mistake is a runny glaze: it must simmer until it turns clear and thick, or it slides off. Chef's tip: mix silken tofu into the rice flour instead of some of the water; the dumplings stay soft for hours instead of hardening as they cool.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dumplings
- 3 ½ oz silken tofu
- 2 ½ tbsp waterabout; as needed
For the glaze
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp potato starch
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water. Mix 1 ¾ oz joshinko (non-glutinous rice flour), 3 ½ oz shiratamako (glutinous rice flour) and 3 ½ oz silken tofu with your hand, then add 2 ½ tbsp water a little at a time until the dough feels as soft as an earlobe.
Step 2: Roll into 20 balls about 2.5 cm across.
Step 3: Drop the balls into a pan of boiling water. When they float, cook 2 minutes more, then lift into iced water and drain.
6 minStep 4: Thread 5 balls onto each pair of skewers, or 4 per single skewer.
Step 5: Toast the skewers in a dry non-stick pan or under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes per side, until lightly browned in patches.
5 minStep 6: For the glaze, whisk 2 tbsp soy sauce, 4 tbsp sugar, ½ cup water and 1 tbsp potato starch in a small pan. Stir over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until it boils, turns from cloudy to clear and thickens to coat a spoon.
3 minStep 7: Spoon the glaze over the dumplings and eat warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mitarashi dango take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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