Mitarashi Dango Recipe: How to Make Glazed Rice Dumplings
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Nov 15, 2024 • 2 min read
These grilled rice dumplings coated in soy sauce are one of Japan's favorite desserts.
Learn From the Best
What Are Dango?
Like mochi, dango are a type of wagashi—or Japanese sweets—made from shiratamako, a glutinous rice flour also known as “sweet rice flour.” Shiratamako is what gives dango its chewy texture, but unlike mochi, dango is not made with 100 percent shiratamako. Dango also includes regular rice flour (joshinko), which results in a lighter stretch.
Japanese dango are often filled with anko (red bean paste) or flavored with matcha powder. Plain dango have a lightly sweet rice flavor, which makes them a great blank slate for many different toppings or glazes.
What Are the Origins of Dango?
The Kamo Mitarashi Tea House in Kyoto, Japan, is believed to be the first place where dango was served. The Shimogamo shrine is located nearby, which is where Kyoto hosts its annual Mitarashi festival. In one of the ceremonies, a plate of Mitarashi dango is presented as a good-will offering to the deities. This popular dessert is available at Asian convenience stores and grocery stores but remains closely associated with Kyoto.
What Are Mitarashi Dango?
Mitarashi dango are rice dumplings served on a skewer and topped with a sweet soy sauce glaze. Mitarashi dango are made with a mix of glutinous rice flour and joshinko (short-grain white rice flour), for a stiffer texture than mochi. The dumpling skewers are grilled before the soy sauce glaze is added to give them a charred flavor.
Japanese Mitarashi Dango Recipe
makes
3 skewers (9 dumplings)prep time
30 mintotal time
40 mincook time
10 minIngredients
For the dango:
For the Mitarashi sauce:
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the joshinko and shiratamako flours.
- 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
Continue to whisk until the mixture starts to clump together.
- 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
Shape the dough into 9 balls of equal size.
- 7
Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
- 8
Drop the dango into the boiling water. The dango will sink to the bottom of the pot.
- 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
Once cool, transfer dango to a parchment-lined baking tray.
- 11
Thread skewers with three dango each.
- 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
Make the Mitarashi sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine mirin, soy sauce, and sugar.
- 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
Continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.
- 16
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
- 17
Spoon a generous amount of soy sauce glaze over each dango skewer.
- 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.
Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by culinary masters, including Niki Nakayama, Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.