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Easy Tofu Mitarashi Dango (Japanese Rice Dumplings with Sweet Soy Glaze)

5 from 1 vote
By Yuto Omura
https://sudachirecipes.com
Mitarashi Dango is a chewy rice dumpling snack served on a skewer and drizzled with a delicious sweet soy sauce glaze. It tastes seriously good, it's fun to make and they're suitable for vegetarians too! Enjoy making and eating this traditional Japanese sweet at home!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course Sweets and Desserts
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 5 portions
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Sweets and Desserts
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 5 portions

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Dango

  • 3-5 bamboo skewers
  • water for boiling
  • 100 g glutinous rice flour shiratamako (recommended) or mochiko
  • 125 g silken tofu + 1-2 tsp extra if dough seems dry
  • ice water

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 ½ tbsp cold water

Instructions 

Dango

  • Place 3-5 bamboo skewers in a glass of cold water to soak and start boiling a pot of water.
    Bamboo skewers soaking in a glass of water
  • Add 100 g glutinous rice flour to a large mixing bowl and whisk for 1 minute.
    Shiratamako in a glass mixing bowl
  • Add 125 g silken tofu to the bowl and mix it together until it has a consistency that resembles scrambled egg.
    shiratamako and silken tofu in a glass bowl
  • Use your hands to push it together and form a dough. Knead until it's smooth and has the texture of an earlobe or play dough.
    dango "dough" kneaded in a bowl
  • Add an extra 1-2 tsp of silken tofu if it seems dry and becomes cracked easily. (Alternatively, add water ½ tsp at a time and knead thoroughly.)
    adding extra tofu to dango dough
  • Divide the dough into equal pieces so that there are 3 for each skewer. Roll them into 15g (½oz) balls.
    measuring dango into 15g balls
  • Once the water is boiling, add the balls to the pot and mix gently to ensure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
    dango in boiling water
  • When they start floating to the top of the water (after about 5-7 mins), set a timer for 2 minutes.
    dango floating in boiling water
  • When 2 minutes are up, use a mesh spoon to transfer them straight to a bowl of ice water and leave them to cool for a few minutes.
    dango in ice cold water
  • Take the soaked bamboo skewers and pierce them through the center of each dumpling until there are 3 on each.
    pushing dango onto a soaked skewer
  • Heat up a non-stick frying pan and add the dango (you don't need oil for this). Allow to brown a little and then turn. (Alternatively, you can scorch them with a blowtorch or over the fire on a gas stove.)
    Once lightly browned on both sides, remove the pan from the heat.
    dango toasting in a frying pan

Sauce

  • Take a small cold pan and add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp cornstarch and 2 ½ tbsp cold water. Mix thoroughly and make sure there aren't any lumps of cornstarch.
    mitarashi sauce mixed in a cold pan
  • Place on the stove and thicken over a low heat. Stir continuously.
    mitarashi sauce thickened in a saucepan
  • Heat until the sauce reaches a syrup-like consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon.
    mitarashi sauce coating the back of a spoon
  • Drizzle over the dango.
    mitarashi dango coated in sauce
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Best eaten the same day.
You can freeze them (with or without the sauce) for about one month. Defrost at room temperature for 30 mins to 1 hour.
If you want to eat them warm, reheat under the grill/broiler in your oven or in the microwave. Be careful not to overcook them since this can dry them out or burn the sauce.
The sauce will get thicker when it cools down. For best results, pour it over the dango while it's still warm.