Mitarashi Dango is a variety of sweet Japanese dango dumplings. I guarantee you, that this mitarashi dango is as delicious as the one the famous Kamo mitarashi tea house serves. So here is my easy dango recipe using silken tofu.
What is Mitarashi Dango?
Mitarashi dango is a type of Japanese sweet. Its main ingredients are glutinous rice flour and sweet soy sauce glaze. The name of dango “Mitarashi” is said to be derived from water bubbles of “Mitarashi” where you purify your hands with water at the entrance of shrine. The dango are used as an offering to a god at the Mitarashi festival held at the Shimogamo shrine every year.
How to make Chewy “MochiMochi” textured dango ?
So let me share my secret for making a chewy mochimochi textured dango. Ready? It’s Tofu! Adding silken tofu to the flour instead of adding and mixing with cold water or boiling water. The secret is not cold or boiling water, but adding Tofu! There is another benefit as well. It adds more protein and gives the dango a chewy texture which often described with an onomatopoeia “mochimochi” that Japanese love!
Silken or firm tofu? And what can be replaced?
Both silken or firm tofu works, however, I recommend using silken tofu for a smooth chewy texture. If you can not get tofu for whatever reason, you can replace it simply with water. The amount of water should be about 90% of the flour weight. You should aim for a dough firmness similar to your ear lobe. So do not add tofu or water all in one go. Rather add the tofu or water gradually, watching the consistency of the dough.
How to cook dango?
It is super easy too. Simply drop the dangos into boiling water. When cooked they float up to the top of the water. Then scoop them with a sieve and place the cooked dango into a bowl of cold water.
3, 4, or 5 on skewers? How many should be on a skewer?
It is traditionally 5. It originated from an anecdote when Emperor Godaigo washed his hands at Mitarashi. One big water bubble came out followed by four more water bubbles. Personally, when you you make Mitarashi dango at home, I don’t think the number matters. I bought the short skewers from a local supermarket and thought it is really cute to have just 3 on them.
What types of flour do I use for mitarashi dango?
This time, I bought a rice flour (more like granule?) called “Shiratamako” from a local Japanese grocery store. Also I often use rice flour that you can get from the supermarket international isle. The rice flour is a product of Thailand. There are red, blue and green writing packets. Make sure you get the green one.
Grill, fry or blow torch?
It depends what you have. Using a non-stick frying pan will be the easiest, though be careful not to burn your finger when you flip the dango skewers. Also you don’t need oil. I like the burnt mark made by a blow torch. It looks nicer but not much different in taste.
Can you freeze Mitarashi Dango?
Mitarashi dango lose their chewy texture and harden fairly quickly. Therefore they are better consumed on the day made. But you can also freeze mitarashi dango if you follow these steps. Wrap them individually with cling wrap and then put them in a ziplock bag. They will keep for about 3-4 weeks in a freezer. It is the best to thaw them naturally at room temperature, and this takes about 30-60 minutes.
Mitarashi dango is Japanese favourite snack or treat. It tastes amazing served warm or cold with sweet and salty mitarashi sauce.
Don’t forget to check out other types of Dango recipe on Chopstick Chronicles too! Such as Sanshoku (three coloured ) dango, Yomogi dango, and Shiratama dango.
If you liked my recipe for Mitarashi Dango, please rate it and leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I can see your wonderful creations!
Mitarashi Dango
Ingredients
- 150 g silken tofu *1
- 100 g Shiratamako *2
Mitarashi Sauce
- 1 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs mirin
- 2 tbs sugar
- 1 tbs potato starch
- 80 ml water
Instructions
- To make the Mitarashi sauce, place all ingredients for the mitarashi syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spatula until the syrup becomes thick and clear. Set aside the sauce
- Place the rice flour and silken tofu in a large bowl and mix well until it forms a dough.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal portion.
- Roll each dough into long cylinder shape and cut into 6 each.
- Roll each dough into small round ball shape.
- Boil some water in a pot or sauce pan and add the dango balls.
- Once the dango raises to the surface of the water, scoop them out and put them into a bowl of cold water.
- Thread 3 balls each onto a skewer.
- Char or grill the surface of the balls on a frying pan then set aside. *3
- Roll the skewers in the syrup to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! You’re a life saver! I’ve been looking for these perfect dango for months and i’m so happy right now, i ate the whole batch by myself :’) I used Martini instead of mirin because I had it on hand, but I’ll buy mirin next time ! Thank you so much
Is it possible to sub out the silken tofu with firm tofu and water?
Yes 😀
Loved this recipe! Made two batches yesterday and they came out perfect! I used the glutinous rice flour in the green bag since I couldn’t find the other type of rice flour at the oriental store. Also added a little extra tofu since 1/1 tofu and rice flour wasn’t exactly enough. My sauce was thicker than the one in the picture and a little more milky but maybe it’s because I used corn starch? Regardless, it was a great recipe (so easy and tasty) and I’m totally gonna use it from now on! Thanks so much!
Thank you for your lovely comment and rating Rebekah 😀
Hi I have no access to the Japanese type of rice flour. Can I substitute them with glutinious rice flour instead?
Hi Angie Yes 😀
Hi! I loved your recipe. However the balls turned out a bit grainy after I boiled them. Is there any way to fix that for next time?
Hi Tenzin Sangmo, I would pound them all together in a Japanese mortar then shape, but it will be sticky.
Would I be able to mix and roll the dough the day before, and then cook them the day-of? Or do you recommend mixing and rolling the dough AND boiling, and then only using the frying pan the day-of? How quickly do they harden after you make them? Should the sauce go on last-minute? Will the sauce keep in the fridge pre-made?
I need to have these ready in the morning the day after tomorrow. Having no experience with these, I am not sure how much time I would need to make a few hundred so I wanted to get started the day before. Thank you for any clarification or tips on how to handle this!
Hi CS, I have never made that many amount at once, so I am not sure. However, if I were you I would roll the dough and make the sauce keep in the fridge. On the day in the morning, cook dango and reheat the sauce. Hope it helps
Yum! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
You are welcome 😀
Delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
You are welcome Gina 😀
These are delicious! Hubby and I loved them! Thanks for taking the time to explain everything.
You are welcome 😀 Beth, I am glad you and your hubby loved Mitarashi Dango 😀
can the dango be frozen after boiling and cooling, then brought to room temperature and grilled?
can the dango be frozen before boiling, then boiled frozen?
thank you,
Hi Jing Thank you for your question. I am updating this recipe tomorrow. And answered to your question in the post 😀
For the silken tofu, should I use firm or soft? Looking forward to this and want to get it right, I love fresh dango!
Hi Christina, usually silken tofu is softer. Use soft and smooth one 😀
Can anything else be used instead of potato starch?
Hi Brandon, you can use flour instead of potato starch.
this is super great i love it!
thank you very much!
For freezing, so you freeze with the sauce or freeze the sauce separately? Thanks.
Hi Christine, you can freeze dango with sauce. Also you can just freeze dango only and make sauce fresh when you are ready to eat 😀
Should i use regular rice flour or glutinous rice flour? Thanks!
Hi Rose, Glutinous rice flour 😀
For the grilling part, are we supposed to have oil in the pan?
Hi Anonymous, NO oil, instead I used non-stick frying pan or you could use torch burner 😀