Recipes
Traditional recipe: 100 g (35 servings)
Recipe with tofu: 160 g (32 servings)
Click here for the exclusive interview with the recipe creator, Chef Mayumi Mori, a talented Japanese confectionery chef of Nichigetsudo, Tokyo.
For 35 servings
Mixture A
950 g non-glutinous rice flour
50g habutae-ko (extra fine glutinous rice flower)*¹
700 g water
100 g johaku sugar*²
100 g TREHA®︎
*¹ The highest-quality, extra fine glutinous rice flour. If not available, regular glutinous rice flour can be substituted.
*² White sugar exclusive to Japan; granulated sugar with a small amount of inverted sugar syrup (Johaku sugar is a little sweeter than granulated sugar.)
Combine A.
Divide the uncooked dough into workable sizes and steam for about 40 minutes. Pound the steamed dough for 5 minutes in a mochi (rice cake) pounding machine to make a mochi dough.*³
While pounding the mochi dough, gradually add previously combined johaku sugar and TREHA® at one part at a time for three times. (Finished Brix is about 52°.)
Shape the dough into small balls. (15-20g each)
*³ If a mochi (rice cake) pounding machine is unavailable, a stand mixer with a dough hook can be substituted.
Makes dango dumplings soft, yet plump.
Maintains softness for an extended time.
Reduce moisture migration from glaze.
For 32 servings
800 g shiratama-ko flour*⁴
160 g TREHA®
960 g silken tofu
*⁴ Shiratama-ko is glutinous rice flour. If not available regular glutinous rice flour can be substituted.
Mix shiratama-ko flour and TREHA®. Add silken tofu gradually to the mixed powder until incorporated. Roll the dough into small balls. (15-20g each)
In a pot, bring the water to boil and add the dough balls for 3-4 minutes after they float. Remove from the boiling water and place them in a bowl with cold water to cool.
Chef Mori’s comments:
Uncooked dumpling dough can be frozen after being rolled. Conveniently, the frozen dumpling can be served by boiling as necessary. Even after cooking, the dumplings maintain a soft texture for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Maintains smooth and soft texture.
Makes the dough that freezes for storage.
For about 35 servings
120 g sugar
50 g TREHA®
120 g water (A)
40 g soy sauce
6 g mirin (sweet sake)*⁵
24 g potato starch
40 g water (B)
*⁵ If not available, it can be omitted.
In a pan, put sugar, TREHA®, and water (A) and heat to dissolve.
In a bowl, put soy sauce, mirin, potato starch and water (B) and stir to dissolve.
Add mixture from 2 to the mixture from 1 and heat until the glaze becomes clear while stirring constantly.
Reduces moisture transfer from the glaze to the dumplings.
Makes a clear glaze.
Drizzle sweet soy sauce over the dango dumplings. For traditional presentation, skew five dumplings on a bamboo stick. Lightly char the dumplings and dip them into a soy glaze immediately before serving.
