Dessert II ; Dango

 

Dango is a traditional Japanese sweet treat, presented as rice flour and sugar dumplings skewered on a bamboo stick. Some region-specific versions use other types of flour (such as potato or millet flour) or different ingredients such as green tea or azuki bean paste. It has been consumed in Japan since the Jomon period, when the forest nuts were pounded into flour that was then used to make the dish. Today, there are numerous varieties of dango, such as anko, cha, kuri, niku, teppanyaki, denpun, bocchan, sasa, kinako, and hanami dango.

Ingredients to make dango :

• 160g non-glutinous rice flour
• 40g glutinous rice flour
• 60g sugar
• 200ml hot water
• 1 tsp matcha green tea powder
• red food colouring

How to make dango :

1. Combine non-glutinous rice flour, glutinous rice flour, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the hot water, stirring constantly until the mixture resembles an earlobe. This is the old way of describing the ideal texture for your dango mix.
2. Microwave for 3 minutes, covered, in the basin where you made the dango mixture. Knead the dough with damp hands or a soaked suribachi (Japanese mortar and pestle).
3. Dividing the dough into thirds is a good idea. To one third, add the food colouring, and to the other third, add the matcha. The last one will remain unchanged. If the matcha powder is too difficult to combine, prepare a paste with a little water before mixing it in.
4. Dampen your hands once more and divide the dough into 6 equal-sized balls for each colour. Serve as a delicious treat by threading one of each colour onto a bamboo skewer.

Tips and information :

* If your mixture is a bit too crumbly after heating, just add a bit more hot water until becomes soft and bouncy again.