My daughter requested me a recipe of ‘Dango’, Japanese dumplings made from Japanese Glutinous Rice Flour. There are so many different types of Dango in different regions in Japan. Here is the most popular ‘Mitarashi Dango’ recipe. ‘Mitarashi Dango’ are plain dumplings covered with sauce made with soy sauce and sugar. If you can find Japanese Dango Flour such as ‘Shiratamako’, you are lucky to use it. I often use these Glutinous Rice Flour and Plain Rice Flour which are commonly available from most supermarket stores and Asian grocers in Australia.

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Makes

12 Skewers (4 Dumplings per skewer)

Ingredients

Glutinous Rice Flour 2 cups
Rice Flour 1 cup
Warm Water 1 & 1/2 cups *approximately

Mitarashi Sauce
Soy Sauce 3 tablespoons
Sugar 3 tablespoons
Mirin 1 tablespoon
Potato Starch 1 tablespoon
Water 1/2 cup

Method

1. Add warn water to the flour gradually, mix and knead to achieve the firmness of dough is same as firmness of your earlobe. (*This is traditionally taught.) It is a bit dry to the touch. Make about 2cm balls.
2. Cook the dumplings in rapidly boiling water. When the dumplings are floating, cook a few more minutes, then drain and place them in icy cold water to cool.
3. Place all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat constantly stirring until thick.
4. Put the dumplings on skewers, 4 per skewer. Then you may wish to grill them on a grill pan to burn the dumplings slightly, but it is optional.
5. Pour plenty of the sauce over the dumplings.