Mitarashi Dango Recipe: How to Make Glazed Rice Dumplings

For the dango:

• ⅓ cup joshinko (short-grain white rice flour)
• ½ cup shiratamako (coarse glutinous rice flour, also known as sweet rice flour)
• 1 teaspoon sugar

For the Mitarashi sauce:

• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon katakuriko (potato starch) or substitute corn starch

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, combine the joshinko and shiratamako flours.

3. 3

   Slowly add ⅓ cup of warm water to the rice flour mixture, whisking constantly with a small whisk or two chopsticks. You may need more or less water.

4. 4

   Continue to whisk until the mixture starts to clump together.

5. 5

   Knead the mixture until it reaches a smooth, firm-yet-soft consistency. If your dango dough falls apart or cracks, add a little more warm water and continue to knead.

6. 6

   Shape the dough into 9 balls of equal size.

7. 7

   Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

8. 8

   Drop the dango into the boiling water. The dango will sink to the bottom of the pot.

9. 9

   When the dango float to the surface, continue to boil for one minute longer, then transfer to the cold water using a slotted spoon or fine mesh strainer.

10. 10

    Once cool, transfer dango to a parchment-lined baking tray.

11. 11

    Thread skewers with three dango each.

12. 12

    For charred dango, heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the dango skewers to the pan and cook until just barely charred on one side, then flip and repeat so that both sides of each dango are lightly burnt.

13. 13

    Make the Mitarashi sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine mirin, soy sauce, and sugar.

14. 14

    In a small bowl, combine potato starch with 1 teaspoon water and whisk to form a smooth paste. Add the potato starch mixture to the saucepan and whisk to combine.

15. 15

    Continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.

16. 16

    Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

17. 17

    Spoon a generous amount of soy sauce glaze over each dango skewer.

18. 18

    Mitarashi dango are best served immediately, but you can also make them in advance. Just be sure to bring the dango to room temperature before serving.

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