If you want to make a simple Japanese dessert at home, these dango made with glutinous rice flour and silken tofu are an easy place to start.
This Mitarashi Dango recipe combines 130 g (4.6 oz) glutinous rice flour with 130 g (4.6 oz) silken tofu to make 20 soft, chewy rice dumplings. The dango are boiled, cooled, threaded onto skewers, and lightly pan-grilled before being covered with a glossy sweet and savory soy sauce. The key is to make the dough soft and pliable, about the softness of an earlobe, and to stir the sauce continuously over medium heat until it thickens. The finished dango have lightly browned exteriors, tender and chewy centers, and a rich coating of glossy mitarashi sauce.
⏱️ Cooking Time: About 20 minutes
🍳 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
✓ Ingredients (Makes 20 Dango)
🥣 Main Ingredients
- 130 g (4.6 oz) glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour)
- 130 g (4.6 oz) silken tofu
🧂 Sauce & Seasonings
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp starch
- 80 ml (2.7 fl oz) water
- Cooking oil
(Measurement guide: 1 tbsp = 15 ml (0.5 fl oz), 1 tsp = 5 ml, 1 Korean paper cup = 180 ml (6.1 fl oz))
✓ How to Make Mitarashi Dango
- Make the dough: Add 130 g (4.6 oz) glutinous rice flour and 130 g (4.6 oz) silken tofu to a bowl. Mash the tofu while mixing everything together evenly. Knead until no dry flour remains and the dough is soft and pliable, about the softness of an earlobe.
- Shape 20 dango balls: Roll the dough between your palms into evenly sized round balls, making 20 in total.
- Prepare an ice bath: Fill a large bowl with ice water so you can cool the cooked dango immediately after boiling.
- Boil the dango: Bring a generous amount of water to a boil in a pot. Add the shaped dango one at a time so they do not stick together. Cook over medium heat until they float to the surface, then continue boiling for about 2 more minutes so the centers cook through.
- Cool in ice water: Remove the fully cooked dango from the pot and transfer them directly to the prepared ice water to cool.
- Make the mitarashi sauce: Add 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 2 tsp starch, and 80 ml (2.7 fl oz) water to a saucepan. Mix thoroughly until the starch is fully dissolved.
- Thicken the sauce: Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir continuously so the bottom does not scorch. When you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pan and the trail remains visible for about 2–3 seconds, remove the sauce from the heat.
- Thread the dango onto skewers: Drain the cooled dango and thread 4 balls onto each skewer to make 5 skewers total. Pat the surface thoroughly dry with paper towels so the oil does not splatter when the dango are grilled.
- Pan-grill the dango: Lightly coat a skillet with cooking oil. Add the dango skewers and turn them as they cook until the surfaces are evenly golden brown and lightly crisp.
- Finish with mitarashi sauce: Arrange the grilled dango on a plate and generously spoon the prepared mitarashi sauce over the top.
✓ Key Tips for Success
- Check that the dango are fully cooked: Overcooking can cause the dango to lose their shape, while undercooking can leave a raw glutinous rice flour taste in the center. Once the dango float, cut one open to check that the center is cooked through before transferring the batch to ice water.
- Dissolve the starch before heating the sauce: If the starch is still clumped when the mixture is heated, the sauce may not thicken smoothly. Mix the sugar, soy sauce, mirin, starch, and water thoroughly before placing the saucepan over medium heat, then stir continuously as it cooks.
✓ Serving Tips
- After boiling, thread the dango onto skewers and lightly brown the surface in a skillet. This gives you a pleasant contrast between the lightly grilled exterior and the soft, chewy center.
- Spoon the mitarashi sauce generously over the finished dango. You can adjust only the amount of sauce to suit your preference.
✓ How to Choose Good Silken Tofu
- Color and smell: Choose silken tofu with an even, pale cream color and no sour or unpleasant odor.
- Shape and surface: Look for tofu that has not excessively broken down or become mushy inside the package, with a smooth surface.
- Packaging: Choose a package with an intact seal, no leakage, and no visible damage.
✓ Silken Tofu Nutrition per 100 g (3.5 oz)
| Nutrient | Amount per 100 g (3.5 oz) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 50.00 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 1.93 g |
| Protein | 4.66 g |
| Fat | 2.51 g |
| Sodium | 55.00 mg |
Based on 100 g of raw silken tofu. Actual nutrition values may vary depending on the product and cooking method.
Source: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Food Nutrition Database – Silken Tofu
✓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. How do I know when mitarashi dango are fully cooked?
Once the dango float to the surface, remove one and cut it in half to check the center. If it is evenly cooked through, transfer the dango to ice water to cool.
Q2. Why do my dango lose their shape or taste undercooked in the center?
Boiling them for too long can make the dango spread or lose their shape, while not cooking them long enough can leave the center underdone. After they float, check one by cutting it open so you can judge the cooking time accurately.
Using equal amounts of glutinous rice flour and silken tofu gives these dango a soft yet pleasantly chewy center. Lightly grilling the surface after boiling also adds a subtle toasted texture that pairs well with the tender interior.
The glossy mitarashi sauce, made with soy sauce and sugar, adds a sweet and savory flavor to the mild dango. Shaping the dough into individual balls is simple, making this a fun Japanese dessert to prepare at home.
Whenever you are craving chewy Japanese mitarashi dango, try making them with glutinous rice flour and silken tofu. Serve the freshly grilled dango with plenty of thick soy sauce glaze for an easy snack or dessert.
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