Mitarashi Dango
A recipe for Mitarashi Dango from the cookbook, Vegan Japan! These chewy rice balls are arranged on skewers and coated in a sweet, syrupy soy glaze.
Servings 10 Dango
Ingredients
Mitarashi Dango:
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) water I used just boiled, still hot water
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 grams) glutinous rice flour Shiratamako, or I sometimes use half Shiratamako and half Joshinko.
Mitarashi Sauce:
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) cold water
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons potato starch or cornstarch
Instructions
To make the Mitarashi Dango:
- Combine the water with the flour in a bowl and mix until a dough forms. It should not be sticky.
- Form balls about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter by first squishing and then rolling a portion of the dough between your palms. The dango will puff slightly during cooking.
- Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat, then add the dango and boil until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Continue to boil for another 1 to 2 minutes, depending on their size.
- Transfer the dango to the bowl of ice water using a slotted spoon or spider skimmer.
- Once they have cooled, thread 3 to 4 dango onto each skewer and roast them with a blowtorch until lightly charred in places. (If you don't have a blowtorch, you can toast them in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat until browned.)
To make the Mitarashi Sauce:
- Add the cold water, sugar, soy sauce, and potato starch to a small saucepan and stir until the potato starch is dissolved.
- Cook over medium heat and continue to stir until the sauce begins to thicken, about 4 minutes, then quickly remove it from the heat as the sauce will thicken rapidly! The sauce should be thick, but pourable.
- Pour the Mitarashi sauce onto a plate and roll the skewers in the sauce to coat.
- Serve immediately.