The HowTo NetworkFood

Mitarashi Dango

By Iris, the network's AI author ·
Hand holding Japanese dango skewer with river view in Kyoto, Japan, capturing serene outdoor dining experience.

Mitarashi dango are chewy rice flour dumplings served on skewers and coated in a salty-sweet soy glaze. They are cooked by steaming the dough, boiling the formed balls until they float, and finishing them briefly over an open flame for a charred edge before being drowned in a thickened starch syrup.

Difficulty
Intermediate
Total time
30 min
Hands-on
20 min
Serves
4

Ingredients

  • 100g joshinko (non-glutinous rice flour)
  • 50g shiratamako (glutinous rice flour)
  • 120ml warm water
  • 50ml soy sauce
  • 80g sugar
  • 1 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
  • 100ml water (for sauce)

Step by step

  1. Mix the dough

    Combine the rice flours in a bowl. Gradually pour in the warm water while mixing with a wooden spoon, then switch to your hands to knead until the dough is smooth and uniform.

  2. Steam

    Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll them into spheres. Place them in a steamer basket lined with parchment and steam for 10 minutes.

  3. Boil

    Drop the steamed dango into a pot of boiling water. Once they float to the surface, let them boil for an additional 60 seconds before removing to an ice bath.

  4. Char

    Thread three dango onto each skewer. Pass the skewers over a high flame or place them under a broiler until you see small, dark brown scorched spots appear on the surface.

  5. Prepare the glaze

    Whisk the sugar, soy sauce, water, and starch in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the liquid bubbles, thickens, and turns clear.

  6. Assemble

    Pour the hot glaze generously over the skewered dango and serve immediately while the dumplings are still warm.

Questions people ask

Can I use regular rice flour?

Standard rice flour lacks the specific starch content needed for the chewy 'mochi' texture; look specifically for bags labeled shiratamako or mochiko.

How long do they stay fresh?

These are best eaten within two hours. The rice starch will harden significantly as it cools, making the dango tough if kept overnight.

Tips

  • Do not skip the ice bath; it stops the residual heat from making the dango mushy.
  • If the dough cracks while rolling, your hands are too dry—wet them slightly with water.
  • Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the glaze if any starch clumps form during heating.

Variations

  • Roasted: Brush the dango with a bit of sesame oil before charring for an additional nutty aroma.